Complicated Feelings
by manganime98
Summary: Hibari Kyouya has never been known to love. And he was was proud of being impervious to those herbivorous feelings. But everything changed when the new transfer student came into his life. Chrome Dokuro. 1896, Bel26, Cololal, Reborn x Luche, Mammon x Skull
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimers:I do not own KHR.

And I'm not putting in so much Hibachrome in this chap cuz i feel the need to introduce everyone before putting in Hibachrome.

Chrome's fingers nervously fingered the catch of the bag. The school was big and intimidating.

"Fran." She said, lightly tapping his fingers on his shoulders. "Fran." She said slightly louder since he wasn't responding.

"I heard you the first time. What is it?" he said his face inscrutable. Chrome nervously looked at the tall gleaming building. Then back at him. He nodded and gestured for her to follow. She hesitated, then went in behind him.

"Its ok." He walked inside the building and immediately bumped into a guy that had blonde bangs covering his eyes, a huge grin that looked like it would split his face at any moment, and a sparkly tiara perched weirdly on his hair.

"Ushishishi, Good morning Froggy. Ushishi-"He was interrupted mid-ushi.

"Sorry Bel- senpai, but could you stop smiling?"

"…What?"

"Stop smiling." Fran repeated. "It's creeping Chrome out."

"…Chrome? Is that an animal's name or something?" he said, confused. Fran pointed behind himself. Belphegor craned his neck and saw a small girl cowering behind Fran. She was completely blocked by Fran.

"Ushishishi. New kid?" He asked Fran. Fran nodded. Belphegor waved and giggled which made him even more disturbing to Chrome.

"…Did you just…_giggle?"_asked Fran.

"No. I laughed."

"No. You giggled."

"Absolutely not, stupid Froggy. It was a _laugh._ Not a _giggle_."

"No senpai. A laugh is a manly. A giggle is not." Chrome sighed and left them to bicker. Since First period was free period, she decided to go to the roof. After all, who's goes to the school roof? The trouble was, when she opened the door, somebody was already on it.

_*K*H*R*_

Hibari Kyouya was lying on the school roof and staring at the clouds. The sound of the door opening caused him to jump up and whip out his tonfas, settling into a battle stance.

"Who's there?" He called out.

"I'm sorry! I didn't think there would be anybody here!" squeaked a small girl cowering in the doorway. Hibari's eyes narrowed.

"This is my territory ,herbivore. Get out or I'll bite you to death." He said, shifting out of his stance. But the girl was clearly as thick as a rock, because she didn't leave. Instead, she tilted her head and said-

"Herbivore? Do you even know what it _means_?" Hibari mentally growled. Did the girl really think he was that stupid!

"Yes. I. Do." He ground out, irritation breaking through his façade.

"Then why are you calling me an herbivore? I'm an omnivore. Humans are omnivores. Not herbivores." She said with an air of finality, waving her hand to emphasize her point. "And this is the school's property, not your territory." She added.

"Get out before I bite you to death, annoying herbivore." He snarled, sinking into a stance as a warning.

"Bite you to death? Is that your catchphrase or something?" she asked, confusion clouding her features. Hibari snarled, unable to keep in his anger.

"You've got a lot of nerve, Pineapple-head."

"I'm not a Pineapple-head!" she said indignantly. "Its always been like that a-and.. it st-stays like th-that…" she faltered as Hibari loomed over her threateningly. Then he suddenly smiled, although it was more like baring his teeth.

"You've got guts, small omnivore." He said, putting his tonfas away.

"I... I'm not small!" she blustered, her face heating up. He raised an eyebrow. "I… I'm… I just haven't hit my growth spurt yet!" He smirked. "Why aren't you in class?" she said, trying to change the subject.

"Prefects don't need to." He shrugged. He glanced at her inquiringly.

"Free period."

He nodded, understanding. Suddenly, the bell rang signaling the end of class. The girl gasped.

"Crap! I gotta go, see you Cloud Person!" she called over her shoulder before disappearing through the doorway. Hibari ground he teeth. Cloud Person? _Cloud_Person? _Cloud Person!_He growled and lay down, staring once more at the clouds. It was only when he yawned, closed his eyes, and started to drift off till he realized that he didn't ask the girl what her name was.

_*K*H*R*_

"Class! I would like you guys to give a warm welcome to our new transfer student, Chrome Dokuro!" Said Dino, smiling widely. The class didn't do anything, but just sat there taking in her eye patch and purple hair. Chrome looked up nervously at Dino when the class didn't do anything. He grinned. "Why don't you introduce yourself?" She swallowed nervously and nodded.

"H-hi, I'm Chrome Dokuro, 15, My favorite color is Indigo, I like eating chocolate and malt sugar and I –" She broke off when she heard people snickering. She gulped. She hated being the center of attention. She glanced at Dino and he gestured for her to sit down. She walked down the aisle and sat next to a boy whose hair look like a demented porcupine. He smiled softly at her.

"Hi, I'm Tsuna. Nice to meet you." He whispered, holding out his hand and smiled. Chrome stared at his hand until he dropped it. Tsuna shrugged, and turned around to stare out the window.

"Nice meeting you too." She said quietly. Tsuna turned, smiling. Chrome bent her head down, and flushing, she focused on her geometry.

When class ended, Tsuna offered to show her around. She didn't complain. Fran was off with the weird blondie.

"Next is world history with Byakuran. He really scary and always makes the class play "World Domination"." Said Tsuna, shivering and leading her into the room.

"TENTH!" Tsuna sweat dropped.

"Hi Gokudera."

"Tenth! Did you do the homework that Byakuran gave to us?"

"Hieee! I forgot! He's gonna kill me!" Tsuna moaned, and started rolling on the floor clutching his head.

"Don't worry Tenth! You can copy mine and-"

"Why do you call him 'Tenth'?" interrupted Chrome. Gokudera stiffened, and turned to look at her.

"And who are you?" he said rudely. Chrome took a few steps back. She bowed quickly and said "I'm sorry." When he continued to glare she started to sweat and quickly stepped behind Tsuna who quickly introduced them.

"Ah! Gokudera-kun! This is Chrome, she's new here and I offered to show her around." Gokudera beamed.

"As expected of the Tenth! Always thinking of others!" He said, tears coming to his eyes. Chrome was stunned. One minute he was glaring at her and the next he was grinning stupidly.

"Ah, Chrome, there you are." Chrome turned to see Fran walking towards her. "I finally got rid of senpai." Chrome nodded.

"Why does he call him 'Tenth'?" she asked, pointing.

"Ah. Its because Octo-head over there worships Tsuna."

"Why?"

"Its because Tsuna's a legend. He knocked out ten thugs in a minute. That idiot over there was a witness. Ever since then, he follows Tsuna around like a lost puppy." Fran said, side-stepping Gokudera as he charged toward Fran yelling "Who are you calling an idiot?"

Chrome ignored this and softly said "Wow." Who would've thought it? The bell rang and the class quickly got into their seats. Byakuran sidled in with a bag of marshmallows and sat down. She stared. Byakuran had white hair that was sticking up all over the place and a tattoo under his left eye.

"Homework on the desk please. Now." He said, smiling sadistically. No one got up, since Byakuran was famous around the school for his weird but torturous punishments. "Dear me, no volunteers?"

"Ahaha! I'll do it!" Called out a tall boy with black hair and a wide grin. He got up and started collecting papers. Chrome turned to look at Fran inquiringly.

"That's Yamamoto Takeshi. He's a baseball freak and never stops laughing." Fran whispered. Byakuran looked up and smiled at Fran.

"Can you be quiet, or do you want me to shut you up?"

The class went quiet. Fran sat there emotionlessly. Byakuran's gaze wandered to Chrome. "A new student? Why didn't anybody tell me?" He said.

"Ahaha? I guess it because you didn't ask?" Said Yamamoto, grinning at the teacher, while setting the stack of sheets on his desk. Gokudera slapped his hand over his eyes and Tsuna sank into his chair till only the tip of his brown hair was visible. Chrome quietly stood up and said "Chrome Dokuro. Nice meeting you." And sat back down.

Byakuran nodded, and smiled. "Good. Now lets all play World Domination!" He said clapping his hands, his dark aura disappearing almost immediately. "Why don't you start first, Tsunayoshi-kun?" He said grinning and stuffing yet another marshmallow into his mouth. Tsuna jumped and stood up.

"Uh…"

Chrome sighed. It was going to be a long period.

_*K*H*R*_

By lunchtime, Chrome had met a lot of new people and students and sat down at a very crowded table. There was Yamamoto, Tsuna, and Gokudera. Fran was eating with the "Prince". At the table there were a few new faces which Chrome met during class.

There was Kyoko, a girl with light brown hair and Tsuna's crush.

Haru, a girl who could _not_stop squealing even if it would save her life.

Ryohei, Kyoko's older brother and was two years older.

Basil, a boy who absolutely adored Shakespeare and even spoke in Old English.

And Fuuta, a young boy who was Basil's best friend and called Tsuna "Tsuna-nii".

The cafeteria was loud and everybody was talking to each other. Chrome stared at her plate, then slowly picked up her fork and spoon and started eating, while everybody else was screaming, talking, and eating at the same time.

"Stupid woman! Don't cling onto the Tenth like that!"

"Ahahaha Gokudera, don't be so harsh."

"Haru is not stupid! Gokudera is just mean and rude, don't you think Tsuna-san?"

"Er… I dunno…''

"Octopus-head! It is rude to the extreme to talk like that to a woman!"

"Shut up Lawn head!"

"Basil, do you think that Tsuna-nii would read _The Last Elf_with me?"

"Fuuta-dono, I do not know. Dost thou wisheth me to ask Sawada-dono?"

The chaos continued for a long time, and Chrome sat there listening. Suddenly, Kyoko turned toward her and smiled. "So, how do you like the school Chrome-chan?"

Chrome didn't know what to do. "Uh.."

"Do you think that academics are hard?"

"They're ok.." She said quietly.

"And the teachers?"

"They're ok too…" Chrome said, growing more nervous. She started fidgeting.

"Are you on any teams?"

"Uhh no…" Chrome felt like it was an interrogation.

"Me neither! Are you gonna try out for something though?" asked Kyoko, clapping her hands together and looking as if Christmas had come early. Chrome didn't get it and she felt so hot and stuffy and caged that she had to get out of there.

"I'm full. I guess I'll see you later." She said quickly and stood up and emptied her tray. She quickly ran down the stairs to the field, where it was wide and empty. She wasn't so sure if she could go up onto the roof after Cloud person seemed to be extremely possessive of it.

_***K*H*R***_

Mukuro sat underneath the tree with M.M ,Chikusa, and Ken. He gazed listlessly at the wide field in front of the school. Ken and M.M seemed to be arguing. He didn't care. He was bored. He wanted to skip school along with his Kokuyo Gang, but the school would put him in detention, which was even more boring and uneventful. He leant back and started to doze when a loud shriek jolted him awake.

"Ken! You stupid animal you slobbered all over my dress!" Shrieked M.M, holding her skirt up.

"I don't care you ugly woman! And I didn't slobber! Slobbering is for animals stupid!" Yelled Ken, glaring at M.M.

"Ken, you did slobber on her dress. And you _are_ like an animal." Interjected Chikusa, playing with his yoyo.

"Stay outta this Kakipii!" Ken barked. Mukuro sighed, and quickly intervened.

"Kufufufu, M.M. why are you worried about this? Just wash it off and everything will be ok." Mukuro said, laughing quietly at their antics.

"Oh, but Mukuro-san," began M.M , her eyes wide. "Ken's slobber is exactly like a dog's. all thick and gluey." She pouted. "And this was one of my favorite dresses." Mukuro smiled.

"Don't worry M.M, I'll-"

"Hey! Look! Some girl over there is gonna get beat up!" Said Ken excitedly. "Look Mukuro!" Mukuro whipped around and saw a small girl with purple hair in the middle of the field surround by seniors.

"Kufufufu…" Mukuro smiled and slid his staff out. Now there was something that made his day a whole lot more fun.

_*K*H*R*_

Chrome didn't know who they were, or what they wanted, but she knew they were older, bigger, and stronger. First, she was sitting quietly in the field, reading _Pride and Prejudice_ when those big guys sauntered up and said "Why, aren't you cute?"

She gripped her bag tightly. "I need to go to class now." She said softly, and tried to walk away.

"I don't think so. Why don't you stay with us?" A guy with a weird haircut and glasses cooed. "I'm Glo Xinia." He said, smiling creepily. Chrome shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I want to hang out with a guy who looks like he's forty when he's still in high school." A vein popped out on his head. The other guys laughed.

"Please let me go or I'll have to make you." She stated, looking directly at Glo Xinia. He smirked.

"Well, I'd love to see you-" He was cut off as Chrome swung the butt of her Desert Eagle BB Gun(Fran gave to her five years ago for protection, since she was small and delicate) into his face. Glo Xinia tumbled backwards, clutching his face.

"You'll pay for that, bitch." He snarled, spitting out blood. The others looked on, bewildered, wondering when she slipped the gun out. Chrome was unfazed as she swung round and shot to of Glo's thugs directly at their groins. They doubled over, wheezing, and clutching their crotches. Somebody lunged at her and she quickly shot him three times in the chest, before running away to the school buildings.

The fifth one ran after her when Glo howled, "Get that bitch! I wanna make her pay!" Chrome sped up, but the man was quickly gaining. He caught up with her and grabbed her arm.

"Got you at last." She struggled. "Let go!" He smirked, then punched her in the stomach. She fell clutching her stomach, gasping for breath. He smiled then viciously kicked her.

"You think you can do that to Glo and my friends? Think again bitch." He grasped her hair and started dragging her towards Glo and the others. Suddenly, a staff bonked him on the head, effectively knocking him out.

"Tally ho!" A man with purple hair yelled. He grinned at Chrome then offered his hand to help her. "Kufufufu...are you alright?" he asked. Chrome tried to reply, _wanted_to say, "You think I'm ok after getting punched in stomach and dragged by the hair?" but her strength left her and she passed out.

_***K*H*R***_

Mukuro was surprised. When he was running to beat up those guys the small girl did something that looked impossible for someone who was that small and looked as if she would have been blown away by the lightest breeze.

She fought back.

The purple haired teen heard them talking.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I want to hang out with a guy who looks like he's forty even though he's still in high school." Mukuro chuckled. The girl had guts. He strained to listen.

"Please let me go or I'll have to make you."

"Well, I'd love to see you-"The petite girl swung a gun at his cheek and sent the guy tumbling backwards. He spat something and the girl turned and shot two of them at their crotches. Mukuro was amazed. It was a bulls-eye. The girl turned and ran.

_Smart,_he thought, _running away when you know that you won't be able to take all of them on at once. Cripple them, then retreat._One guy ran after the eye patched girl and was quickly gaining. He grabbed her arm and viciously began beating her. It was then Mukuro decided to help.

"Tally Ho!" He yelled, striking the man on the head with his staff. The man was out cold. He smiled at the girl and offered his hand. "Are you ok?"

She tried to say something, but her eyes rolled back and she fainted. He sighed and put her on his back. Making sure she wasn't going to fall off, he set off towards the school. Then he turned and prodded the guy who he had knocked out with his foot, just to make sure he was alive. The senior groaned.

Mukuro nodded, satisfied, then started towards the big building.

"Mukuro! Wait!"

"Mukuro! Where're ya goin'? Lets go Kakipii!"

"Mukuro-san."

_***K*H*R***_

Chrome groaned and opened her eyes. She felt like she was run over by a truck.

"You were quite amazing in the fight back there."

Chrome whipped around so fast she cricked her neck. Rubbing he neck and wincing, she recognized the guy who had yelled "Tally ho!" and saved her.

"Thank you." She said, a little louder than a whisper.

"No, seriously, you did something I didn't expect you to do." He smiled. She suddenly noticed that his eyes were different colors.

"No. I meant for helping me." He tilted his head.

"Interesting."

"What's interesting?" she asked nervously.

"That instead of declaring 'Thank you! You saved my life!' and crying," At this, he gestured dramatically, causing Chrome to giggle a little. "You said 'Thank you for _helping_ me.' " He continued.

"Is there a difference?" she asked, curious.

"A great big difference."

"How?" she said, leaning forward.

"It shows that you are independent, and that you're strong." He said, nodding importantly. Then he wrinkled his face. "I sound like an old wise shaman or something." Chrome laughed aloud. He smiled.

"You should do that more…er.. what's your name?" he asked. "I don't think I've seen you before. Oh, and I'm Mukuro Rokudo. Junior." He added.

"Ch-Chrome Dokuro. I'm in Ninth grade." His brow wrinkled in confusion. "Why didn't I recognize you? You stand out enough. No offense." he said quickly, seeing her blush.

"I just transferred here today." She said. He smiled sympathetically. "Rough day isn't it?" She nodded.

"Oh well." He said leaning back in the chair, crossing his arms and closing his eyes. "You'll get used to it soon enough." Chrome waited for him to say something. When he stayed silent, she asked, "Can I ask you a question Mukuro-san?"

He nodded, his eyes still closed. "Why are your eyes a different color?" He opened his eyes, and smirked. "I was wondering when you would ask." She blushed. "I-I-I- I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be r-rude or anything! I was j-just curious and-"

"Heterochromia Iridium." He said, cutting smoothly through her babbling. Chrome was mystified.

"Huh?"

"Heterochromia Iridum." He repeated.

"Is that a disease or something?" He chuckled.

"Kufufufu..no, my cute Chrome," At this, Chrome flushed tomato red. He didn't notice. "It's a genetic thing. Don't worry, its harmless." He said when she opened her mouth to speak, looking concerned.

"Well! Its been nice meeting you Chrome, but I think its time for you to go home now." He stood up, stretched, and yawned. "Its already 2:45." He yawned.

"What?" Exclaimed Chrome, sitting upright on the bed. "How long was I out?" Still stretching, Mukuro raised up 2 fingers. Chrome's mouth dropped open. "Two hours?" she whispered, her eyes wide with shock. The teen stopped stretching and leaned down and patted her on the head.

"My cute Chrome, you were hit quite hard by that senior." He said gently. Chrome looked up at him, panic rising within her. "I missed all my classes! How-"

"Wahhhhh! You're finally up, Chrome-chan?" Shrieked someone. "Awww you're cuter awake than you were asleep!" The man in the doorway giggled and danced around the room, fetching an icepack, aspirin, and a cup of water.

"Chrome-chan, you're new here today right? Oh of course you are what am I thinking? I would've seen you before. Well, good thing that this young man, " He pointed at Mukuro, pausing from his babbling, "Was here and carried you here! Then he stayed with you the whole time! Oh, young love!" He finally stopped to take a breath and turned toward the two with huge eyes.

Mukuro was standing next to Chrome's bed and Chrome was sitting in it, both staring at the nurse. Well, just Chrome. Mukuro seemed to be perfectly at ease with the nurse.

"Lussaria, she's new, she's not used to your moe stuff." He said glancing at Chrome. Instead of calming Lussaria, he squealed excitedly. "Aww! You're looking out for Chrome-chan! Most people said to me that you didn't have a heart Mukuro-kun, but why didn't you tell me you had a girlfriend!" Lussaria pouted.

"And a cute one too!" He added. Mukuro sighed while Chrome turned red.

"I-um, we're not-" She stammered.

""Lussaria, its time for me to send my cute Chrome home," Said Mukuro smoothly, and bent down and planted a kiss in her hair. "She needs rest after today." Lussaria exploded into squeals and giggles. Chrome turned so red that resembled a tomato, and tried to explain that they weren't together, but no sound came out of her mouth.

Lussaria quickly quieted down and adjusted his sunglasses. "Well, I'd better let you two young lovebirds go then!" He giggled once more then waved them off. "Bye Chrome-Chan!"

Mukuro took Chrome's hand and led the flushed girl out of the room. He paused in the doorway and looked back.

"You wouldn't mind keeping it quiet would you? Me and Chrome don't want anybody to know just yet."

The nurse nodded quickly and squealed "Toodle-doo!" and flapped his hands, gesturing for them to leave. The moment they were outside, the heard a loud "WAHHHH! KAWAIIIIIII!" Chrome was brought back to her senses.

"Why did you say we were together?" she asked, her face still red. "We're not and-"

"It was to get away from Lussaria. Otherwise, we would have been stuck in there for an hour." He smirked. "Although it was worth seeing you blush and look so cute." He said, bopping her gently on the nose, which caused her to blush again, even though she had just stopped blushing.

"B-B-But you sh-"

"Chrome! There you are! We were getting worried!" she was interrupted by Tsuna. "What happened to –HIEEEEEEEEEEE!" Tsuna shrieked. "M-M-Mukuro!" He looked like he was going to faint. Gokudera, who was jogging behind Tsuna, leapt forward and declared, "I'll protect you Tenth!" Yamamoto laughed.

"Ahahaha! Don't get so worked up you two. Hi Mukuro!" He waved, and Mukuro smiled back.

"Mukuro-san! Kakipii! I found him!" yelled Ken. He was pushed out of the way by M.M. "Mukuro-sannn! Where did you go after lunch? And who's she?" She added, looking at Chrome disdainfully. Mukuro turned to Chrome and said "Kufufufu. I have to go now. Take care my cute Chrome." He said, before leaning down to hug her.

Tsuna spluttered.

Gokudera's eyes widened.

Yamamoto grinned and put his arms behind his head.

M.M's mouth dropped open in fury.

Ken started jumping around barking "What the hell?"

Chikusa did nothing at all.

He let go of Chrome and patted her head. "I'll see you tomorrow." Chrome nodded. Then he went with the Kokuyo gang and the left the school building.

"Chrome?" Tsuna weakly asked. "Are you two together?" Chrome quickly explained what happened during lunch. By the time she finished, Tsuna'a eyes were huge, Gokudera nodded respectively, although a bit grudgingly, and Yamamoto grinned and gave her a thumbs up.

"Wow! You're stronger that we realized! Ahahaha!" Gokudera shot him a glare. "We know that already baseball idiot!" Tsuna tried to calm the two down when-

"Chrome! There you are!" Fran was walking down the hallway with the blonde.

"Ushishishi. The Prince is walking home with you." Bel informed her. "Froggy lost a bet so I get to sleep over! Ushishishi." Bel grinned and tugged on Fran's arm. When Fran stood there emotionlessly Bel decided to change tatics and stabbed his arm instead. Tsuna and the other gasped. Fran look at his arm and whined "Senpai…..It hurts…." His face remaining the same.

"Ushishi. Get on with it then." Fran sighed and waved good bye to Tsuna and Yamamoto. At Gokudera he stuck out his tongue. "Come on Chrome. Let's go home." Chrome nodded, shouldered her bag, and followed them out.

_***K*H*R***_

"Hibari! Hibari!"

Hibari looked up to see a yellow fluffy bird fly down and perch on his shoulders. He smiled softly at the chirping bird. His head snapped up when he heard a familiar voice.

"Kufufufu… hello Hibari-kun." Hibari mentally snarled.

"I heard that you beat the seniors?" he said. Mukuro shrugged and smiled. "Who knows?" a tic appeared on the skylark's cheek. "Discipline should not be defiled."

"Oya, oya Hibari-kun," said Mukuro, waving his hand carelessly. "You don't know _why_I did it do you? I might not have been defiling discipline at all."

"But, knowing you, you would have beaten up those seniors just for fun. I find it hard to believe that you actually had a reason to beat them up. So," Hibari took out his tonfas. "Prepare to be bitten to death."

"Now, now," Mukuro said, skipping backwards a few steps. "You shouldn't be so violent Hibari-kun. Why should you make statements like that when you can't even lay a finger on me?"

Hibari sank into a stance. "Say that again and I willbash your head in." Mukuro smiled, pitiyingly. Hibari wanted to wipe that smirk right off his face but he held onto his temper.

"Where are your lackeys? It's surprising that you're alone." Mukuro shook his head, still smiling.

"Hibari, not all of us need to rely on people." Hibari's anger vanished and he proudly stepped out of his stance.

"Carnivores don't need to rely on herbivores. Crowding is a nuisance." He turned to walk away, triumphant that he finally got the last laugh. His hopes were quickly dashed, however.

"Oh my. You call yourself a carnivore when you can't even beat me in serious mode? Kufufufu, I wonder what I am…" Mukuro wondered aloud, rubbing his chin in a very satisfied way. Hibari swung round and pressed a tonfa to his throat.

"Say another word, and I will beat you up."

Mukuro laughed.

CLANG!

Hibari was forced backwards as Mukuro swung his staff to meet Hibari's tonfa. Hibari growled lowly then lunged at the purple haired teen. Mukuro slipped past and twisted Hibari's right arm behind him.

"Kufufufu…so impatient." Mukuro smiled and twisted the arm even more. Hibari was screaming in pain inside but he kept silent and fuelled that pain into anger. He glared and Mukuro and wrenched his arm free- possibly twisting a muscle- and brought his left arm with the tonfa crashing into Mukuro's face.

So Hibari allowed himself, just for a moment, to relish the idea of finally bashing the herbivore's face, like he promised.

"Kufufufu. You think you can defeat me with something like that?" Hibari snapped back to his senses, realizing that his didn't even scratch Mukuro. The purple haired teen had dodged the blow. Hibari glared and snarled.

"Oh my. What a ferocious look. Hi-ba-ri- kun_._" The two teens stood there standing still for a moment. Then, bristling angrily, Hibari lunged again. The tonfas and staff clashed against each other, sparks flying all over the place.

"You WILL be bitten to death Pineapple. Even-" He swung his tonfa up to block another strike, "if it's the last thing I do." Mukuro smiled. "I'd like to see you try Kyoya. But next time. I see my Kokuyo gang coming. Ta-ta!" And with a grin, Mukuro disappeared. Hibari growled, and slammed atonfa into the nearest wall.

"Dearie me! Now listen young man, clear off before I call the police!" Hibari glared at the little old woman before stalking off, Hibird flying after him.

_***K*H*R***_

Chrome sighed as Fran and Bel _would. Not. Stop. Bickering._

"Stupid fallen prince, why can't you go home?" Fran complained monotonously. "Chrome is gonna be frightened to death when she wakes up in the middle of the night and hears your weird laugh."

"I am not a fallen prince," Growled Bel. "And the Prince's laugh is not weird." He continued, lifting his chin up defiantly.

"But Bel-senpaii," Fran whined. "Everyone who looks at you think that you must have dropped when you were a baby. Or that you have a bad case of ADD." Fran added as an afterthought.

In response to this, Bel stabbed Fran with his weird knives. Chrome gave a little "Eep!" and stepped backwards quickly. Fran calmly took out the knives and started bending them. Bel snatched the knives away.

"Don't bend the Prince's knives." He said sulkily. Fran sighed and walked on. "Bel-senpai, you have thousands of them. Just throw away all of them till you have only, like, ten left. Then I won't bend them."

Bel pouted. "What about all the other people I need to stab then?"

"There are other people?" Chrome asked.

"Ushishishi. Of course. There's Levi, the stupid secretary, Squalo, the art teacher, Lussaria the nurse…" Bel ticked them on his fingers. When Bel mentioned Lussaria, Chrome turned bright red.

"…oh, and of course, there's the idiot who hangs around with Tuna." Bel concluded, after several minutes of listing people in the school. Chrome was quiet, trying to make her blush fade.

"Oh, Chrome, where were you today after lunch? I didn't see you at all." Said Fran, oblivious to the fact that the girl's blush started up again. He turned toward her. "Did something…What happened to your face?"

"N-Nothing." Chrome jammed her hands into her pockets and stared at the ground. Fran shrugged, then turned toward Bel to discuss the people who weren't on the stabbing list. Chrome felt a piece of paper in her pocket and pulled it out.

_Hello my cute Chrome. When I saw you fight with those seniors today, I must say that you were quite amazing. Your aim was astounding. If you didn't notice, all your bullets were spot on, and the man you shot in the chest, you shot it directly at his heart. I recommend that you try out for the Special club thingy. They only accept special students and they do all sorts of funky stuff. I'm sure you'll shine there._

_Mukuro_

_P.s My email is Mukuro69__at__vongolashellfish__dot__khr._

_P.P.s Here's my phone number. Give me a call when you have time. 069-666-6996_

Chrome stared at amazement at the slip of paper in her hand. When he had written it, she had no idea. But she knew when he had slipped the paper in; when he leaned down to hug her, he must have given it to her then. Suddenly, a pale hand reached over and took the paper from her.

Fran silently read the paper while Chrome stood there nervously, not knowing what to do while Bel-senpai read over Fran's shoulder.

"Mukuro huh?" Chrome nodded. Fran and Bel looked at each other and nodded. Bel suddenly appeared behind her and hit her on the head, knocking her out for the second time in a day. Bel caught her and put her on his back.

"Ushishishi. Froggy, who shall be in charge of interrogating this time?"

"Me. I need to know exactly how she got to meet Master and where she disappeared this afternoon." Fran's gaze hardened. "And I don't care if I seem over protective. I will not let my family get hurt again."

_*K*H*R*_

Ok so that's my first fanfiction. Pleasepleaseplease no hate reviews. And if you guys are gonna review, then please vote if you want 6996 or 1896. (Mukuro x Chrome or Hibari x Chrome) and also vote if you want 8059 or 5986 (Yamamoto x Gokudera or Gokudera x Haru) I don't mind writing yaoi seeing as I'm gonna do BelxFran anyway. I can't stop laughing when i imagine Mukuro hiding behind a bush listening to Chrome fight with Glo Xinia and his gang. So. Reviews?


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: I do not own KHR. I'm sorry i didn't update sooner, but FFN wouldn't let me update it. i dunno why._

Fran glanced back at Chrome, who was still asleep- or in other words, passed out.

"Bel-senpai. Are you tired of carrying her?" Fran asked, impassive. The Prince turned around and grinned. "Why? Is the Froggy peasant worried about the Prince?"

"No, it's just because I don't want you to drop Chrome." Bel frowned, and shifted Chrome a little so could he could free his right arm. He threw five knives at Fran. The green-haired boy looked down at his arm.

"Senpai. It hurts…" Fran mono-toned before pulling the knives out and throwing them carelessly over his shoulder. The prince scowled, but couldn't do anything because if he bent down to pick up his knives, Chrome could fall off.

But then he grew curious.

"Oi, Froggy."

"What is it, idiotic –senpai?" Fran turned. "We really shouldn't keep stopping to talk or Chrome will wake up again and we're going to have to knock her out again." He continued walking.

"Why don't you bleed?" Fran stopped walking. "Why don't I bleed?" Bel nodded vigorously, his hair flapping.

"It's because…" Bel waited tensely for the answer.

"Because…?" Bel prompted Fran because he had gone quiet.

"It's because I'm a zombie and I have no blood to shed!" Fran whipped around, his eyes glazed, drooling, and his arms stretched out towards Bel. He staggered drunkenly toward the Prince.

"I need fresh meat!" A tic appeared on Bel's cheek.

"Fresh meat! I need to tear all living beings into –oomf!" Bel kicked the green-haired teen in the stomach.

"Shut up!" Fran rubbed his stomach and rolled on the ground. "It hurts…idiot senpai…carry me…"

"Are we there yet?" Bel interrupted Fran's moaning. The younger boy got up and looked around. He pointed to a house at the end of the road.

"It's that one." Bel nodded and started walking towards the house.

"Idiot-senpaiiii…" Bel continued walking. "Idiot-senpaiiiii…" The blonde ignored him. "Idiot-senpaiiii…you're going the wrong wayyyyyy…" Bel whipped around.

"Stop joking!"

"You must be really stupid senpai. It's on the other side of the way. Stupid fallen Prince."

"But you pointed at that house and said it was that way!" Bel howled in outrage. "So that doesn't make me an idiot! I just followed you directions!" Fran put a finger to his lips.

"Shh. You'll wake Chrome up. Besides, I was just messing with you. It is that one." Fran smiled triumphantly and continued walking. When he passed Bel, the blonde kicked Fran on his shin. Hard.

Fran jumped around hugging his shin and he opened his mouth to yell in pain. Bel smiled.

"Shh. You'll wake up Chrome. Ushishishi." So Fran hopped around screaming in silence as Bel walked down the lane toward the house.

_*K*H*R*_

Fran opened the door and called out "I'm back." A woman who was sitting on the couch sorting bills looked up. She had purple hair and had a hoodie on, covering her eyes.

"Ushishi. Hi Mammon." Bel grinned. Mammon nodded. She spotted Chrome hanging limp over his shoulder.

"Bel, what did you do to her? Now we have to pay the hospital bills, and they're expensive." She got up and took Chrome from the blonde. Bel shrugged.

"Froggy ordered me to." Mammon turned to stare at Fran, who stared emotionlessly back. There was silence for a few minutes, until Bel laughed.

"Ushishishi. Now I know where Froggy gets monotones." Both turned to look at Bel, who said "When are we gonna ask her?" he nodded at Chrome. "She's gonna wake up soon."

Fran nodded grimly. "Right. The mission." He looked around and pointed upstairs. "Put her in the guest room." Bel saluted before carrying Chrome upstairs.

Mammon raised an unseen eyebrow. "Mission?" Fran nodded. Mammon waited for him to explain, but when he did nothing, she shrugged, and went back to her bills.

"She seems to have a connection to Rokudo Mukuro." Mammon's head whipped around to look at Fran.

"….._What did you say?"_Fran nodded grimly. "She doesn't know what happened between you two yet." Mammon was silent. "Don't worry," Fran assured Mammon. "I won't tell her about the incident, but I can tell her what he's like, since he used to be my tutor." The woman relaxed.

"Ok. But how do you know she was with Mukuro?" Mammon asked, her hand tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Fran pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to her.

Mammon scanned the paper and stood up. "I want to know too." She deftly gathered all the bills and put them in their files. She opened her mouth to say something but she was interrupted by Bel.

"Oi! Froggy! The guest room's the one with the canary wallpaper right?" Bel's voice floated down the stairs. Fran nodded, even though Bel couldn't see.

"… I'll take that as a yes!" Fran and Mammon sighed and started up the stairs.

_*K*H*R*_

Chrome groaned. She opened her eyes, and saw Fran, Mammon, and Bel staring at her. She squinted, because they surrounded her with lamps that were shining at her face.

"Wha-what's going on…?" She said, holding up a hand to shield herself from the light. The three of them continued staring before bursting into questions.

"Ushi, where did you go today after lunch?"

"How did you come in contact with Rokudo Mukuro?"

"Did he pay you to meet him?" At this, everybody stared at Mammon. "Aneki, What do you mean by _pay?"_ Fran asked.

"Ushishi, Nee-san, are you really that crazy about money?" Mammon sighed. "Just get on with the interrogation."

"In-Interogation?" Chrome was bewildered. "What interrogation?"

"Ushishishi. Mammon, you and Froggy make it sound like a movie." Bel snickered. Fran sighed.

"Chrome, how did you meet Rokudo Mukuro?"

"H-Huh?" Chrome didn't get why Fran was looking as if someone had died. "Um.. during lunch, I was cornered by a gang who seemed to be led by…uh.. a guy with glasses… I think his name was Glue Xinia?"

Fran nodded "His name's Glo. He's one of the seniors. Go on."

Chrome took a deep breath and continued . "He asked if I wanted to hang out with him and I refused…so I used the BB gun you gave me and hit him on his cheek. Oh, and I shot three of them then I started to run away and that man started beating me up-"

"What? He beat you up?"

"Yes. And he was about to take me back to Glo but Mukuro came and knocked him out and carried me to the nurse room. He said I was sleeping for two hours." Chrome concluded.

"Fran. Bel. Get out of this room." Mammon ordered. "I need to check to see if this story is real or not."

"Awww, why do we have to go?" Bel pouted. "I wanna see the evidence too."

"Senpai… Mammon's gonna check for wounds on Chrome body." Fran explained.

Bel tilted his head and frowned, confused. "…So?" Fran sighed. "It means she's gonna take Chrome's shirt off. Stupid fallen-Prince." Fran muttered.

"Oh." Fran grabbed his sleeve and dragged him out of the room. Mammon turned to look at Chrome.

Chrome froze. "…Chrome. Please. Just this once. You don't even need to pay me." The petite girl gulped and tugged off her shirt. Chrome hated taking off her shirt because she was thin and spindly.

Mammon looked at her and saw the cuts and bruises. She nodded. "You can put it back on now." Chrome slipped on the shirt and walked out of the room with Mammon.

"Uh…Mammon-san?" Mammon gave a nod to show that she was listening. "Why are you and Fran so against Mukuro-san?" Mammon hesitated, before turning to Chrome.

"He isn't the nicest person in the world. That's all I'm going to say. Unless you give me money."

Chrome sighed and walked downstairs with the older girl.

_*K*H*R*_

Hibari unlocked the door and hung his jacket up neatly before going into the kitchen and getting out a hamburger and popping it into the microwave.

"Hibari! Hibari!" the teen stroked the bird with a finger. "Wait. I need to heat it up." While Hibird watched the microwave, Hibari went to the living room and got his hedgehog out. Roll yawned and blinked at Hibari.

"Kupii..." Hibari carried him to the kitchen. "Hibari! Hibari! Burger!" Hibarid chirped, excitedly flapping his wings.

"I know, I know." He took the hamburger out of the microwave and broke a piece of for the small bird. "There."

Roll eyed the hamburger, sniffed it, and decided it wasn't good. He turned and slept on the table. Hibari quickly finished his burger and was about to put his plate in the sink when his phone rang.

[_Midori tanabiku__namimori_ _no. Dai naku shou naku nami ga ii. Itsumo kawa-]_

"Hello?"

{Kyo-san.}

"Tetsu."

{Kyo-san, it seems that Rokudo Mukuro did have a reason for fighting.} Hibari raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? And you know this by…?"

{I have questioned Glo-san and the rest. It seems they met a girl and- _ahem-_ er…they were attracted to her. She fought back, but Mochida-san chased after her. Then he was knocked out by Rokudo Mukuro.}

Hibari sighed. And he was _so_looking forward to have a reason to beat Mukuro. "Fine. And who is this girl?"

{I don't know yet sir. They said that she was small, had purple hair, and eye-patch over her right eye.} Hibari's heart stopped.

"…"

{… Kyo-san?} Hibari snapped back to his senses. He didn't know why he was getting worked up over such a small problem but he didn't like it. It made him feel herbivorous.

"Tetsu. I'll question them tomorrow." What? What was he saying? _Shut up, shut up!_Said a little annoying voice in the back of his head. _You're getting worked up over nothing!_ "You can let them go."

{…Kyo-san, are you feeling alright?} Hibari knew what he meant. Usually he let Tetsuya deal with minor problems like questioning and he did the biting to death, but he felt the need to do it this time.

"I'm fine. Good night."

{Night sir.} They both hung up. Hibari ran a hand through his hair. _What the hell am I doing?_

_You're being an herbivore, obviously. Carnivores are alone. They don't care. They don't feel. That's the price of being alone._

Hibari wanted to strangle that annoying voice and yell and scream that he already knew that and did he think that he, the head of the Disciplinary Committee did not know that? But that was showing weakness and it was an herbivorous thing to do so he calmly sat down on the couch and put Roll on his lap while Hibird slept in his hair.

"… Why am I getting so worked up over a girl whose name I don't even know?"

_*K*H*R*_

"Eww! Ken, you idiot! Stop drooling!" M.M recoiled at the strands of saliva hanging at Ken's jaw when he ate.

"I'm not drooling! This is just how I eat-byon!" Ken snarled at M.M, specks of chewed food and saliva flying everywhere.

"Ken. Close your mouth." Chikusa was sitting and reading a book. He pushed up his glasses. "Mukuro-san would not want his furniture ruined after he is sharing his house with us."

"It's the Kokuyo house Kakipii! Everyone in the gang is allowed here. Except for stupid girls." At this he opened his mouth and sprayed M.M with bits of chips. He laughed. "Now that, Kakipii, is a good punishment for stupid wo-gak!"

M.M thwacked Ken with her clarinet. "Ken you absolutely disgusting idiot!" She stormed off to take a shower. Ken laughed, although it was more like a choke.

"Ha-hack! I-I won that last match!" Said Ken weakly from the floor, rubbing his stomach. "K-Kakipii, get me an ice pack." Chikusa observed the whole scene calmly before saying "No." and turned back to his book.

Mukuro entered the room holding a bag of cheeseburgers. "Kufufu!" He laughed triumphantly. "I managed to ask an old lady to buy us six cheeseburgers!" His mismatched eyes danced. "Free of charge!" He paused.

"Ken, what are you doing on the floor?"

"M-Mukuro-san. M.M hit me with her clarinet." groaned Ken.

"You didn't provoke her did you?"

"Uh… n-"

"He did, Mukuro-san." Ken glared at Chikusa. "Kakipii! Don't be a tattle-tale!" The teen merely pushed his glasses back up and said "It's the truth. Besides, if M.M hears that you lied, she'll go full-blown- banshee on you."

Ken gulped. Mukuro laughed quietly and sat down, putting the bag on the counter. Mukuro draped his jacket over the couch, sat down and started flipping through channels on the T.V.

The Kokuyo house belonged to Mukuro after his parents had died, leaving him everything. They were billionares, and Mukuro let everyone in the Kokuyo gang stay, and they all had to do chores. Although they had enough money, they preferred to get stuff by using other people's money instead.

"Mukuro-chan! When did you come back? I didn't hear you come in." M.M smiled from the doorway.

"That's because you were upstairs too busy washing of the chips, stupid." Ken grumbled from the floor. M.M, still smiling, kicked Ken again while walking past him. Mukuro smiled lazily from the couch.

Mukuro smiled as M.M sat down next to him on the couch. His attention wandered as M.M chattered about random things.

"…and why didn't you come to class? You said you would right after dumping that ugly girl at the nurse's room." M.M said sourly. Mukuro turned to look at her.

"Kufufufu… she would be my responsibility wouldn't she? Because I helped her." He got up and stretched. He yawned hugely and decided to go upstairs, since he wanted to go upstairs and sleep early.

"I think I'll go sleep now. I'm tired." M.M and Ken stared. "What?"

"Mukuro-san, you never sleep early! Its only 9:00!" Ken said, sitting up from the floor.

"Mukuro-chan, come and watch T.V with us," Coaxed M.M from the couch. The purple-haired teen shook his head. "Good Night."

"…What the hell is wrong with him?"

_*K*H*R*_

Hibari was sitting in the reception room the next day when Tetsu appeared with Glo and the gang.

"Good morning Kyo-san." Hibari nodded and gestured for him to leave. The man bowed, and left the room.

"So. You are the three who tried to harass a girl." He picked up his tonfas. "Discipline at Nami-chuu should be in order."

"W-Wait! I, I already told your partner everything! Why do we need to be beaten?" Shrieked one of them. He had a bandage wrapped around his head.

"Oh? But you _did_harass a girl. And that is breaking the rules." He settled into a stance.

"Wait! If you want to know who the girl is, I can give you her room number!" Yelled Glo, his hands out in front of him, a vein throbbing near his eye. Hibari stopped.

"And how do you know this?

Seeing that the violent prefect wasn't going to do anything, he pushed up his eyeglasses and patted the bandage covering his cheek. "Well, when she was reading, I noticed her schedule sticking out of her bag. She's in Sawada Tsunayoshi's class."

Hibari nodded. Then he swung his tonfa at the back of Glo's head. Glo doubled over.

The skylark swung his left tonfa into the spectacles' gut, keeping him from falling onto the carpet.

"Ack!" The teen pulled back his tonfa, and the senior collapsed to the ground. The others stared in horror. Hibari smirked.

"Prepare to be bitten to death."

_*K*H*R*_

Chrome scribbled down the last sentences to her essay. Her topic was "Curiosity is the Cure for Boredom." _But I thought that curiosity killed the cat?_She thought bitterly, trying to come up with a decent essay. All she got was a crappy essay which clearly said "I don't exactly know how to explain how Curiosity is the cure for Boredom."

"And time's up! Pass the papers up." Called Irie Shouichi, their English teacher. He adjusted his glasses and gathered all the papers.

"Ok, I'll grade these papers and correct them. If I think that you can do better, I'll make you write it again with a different topic." Shouichi ran a hand through his hair and stacked the papers neatly on his desk.

"Right. Homework is to come up with a presentation debating whether or we should have capital punishment, and present it in the next class. Class is dismissed."

The bell rang, and everyone stood up and packed away their things.

"Fran. I've got Technology with Spanner next." Chrome said, shouldering her bag and reading her schedule.

Fran nodded. He led the way out, Gokudera, Basil and Tsuna following. The rest of the gang went the other way, since they had a different class next.

"Oi, green-haired bastard." Fran pretended not to hear. "OI! Listen to me you idiot!" Gokudera yelled.

"I can't hear you." Fran replied, walking with Chrome. Basil, Tsuna and Chrome glanced at each other nervously, sensing a storm brewing. The silver-haired teen bunched up his fists and drew a deep breath.

Everyone backed up quickly, leaving Fran alone.

"Eh? What's wrong?" Fran turned to see Gokudera, red in the face from holding his breath, centimeters away from his own face.

"GREEN-HAIRED BASTARD! LISTEN-TO-WHAT-I-HAVE-TO-SAY!" roared Gokudera. Everyone stopped what they were doing to look at the furious teen. Basil and Tsuna winced. Chrome plugged her ears.

Fran looked indifferent and merely said- "Don't stress yourself anymore, or you hair will turn whiter that it is now." Sensing danger, Basil quickly intervened.

Grabbing Gokudera and putting him into a headlock, he hastened to say the magic words.

"Gokudera-dono, dost thou wisheth Sawada-dono to be shamed?" the raging teen froze. Then he turned toward Tsuna grinning hugely.

"Tenth! Don't worry! I won't shame you by being mean!" Basil sighed, relieved that the teen had stopped. Fran turned muttered to Chrome.

"You'd think he's always on period or something." Gokudera's eyebrow twitched, but his smile stayed on his face, bright as ever.

"But, its only girls who have it right?" Chrome whispered back, not knowing that Gokudera could hear.

"Yeah. But don't you agree he looks like a girl? He could be a girl acting as a boy." Fran replied, his voice low. Gokudera twitched again. Chrome looked at Gokudera, thinking about how Gokudera was a lot like a tomboyish woman, and that he was, truthfully, a beautiful boy.

So she nodded.

Gokudera flew into another rage, ranting about how stupid people could be and that they should just shut up. Basil face palmed while Chrome looked down at her feet, plugging her ears once more.

"Ah? Screaming in the hallway? That won't do." Everybody except Chrome froze at the soft, dangerous, drawling voice that could only belong to one person.

Byakuran Gesso.

Fran nudged Chrome to get her to unplug her ears.

"Oh dear, aren't you all late for class? Do you know what this means?" He smiled sweetly. "This means _detentions._"

"Byakuran-sensei," said Basil bravely. "I-"

"Tut-Tut. I'm sure you all have excuses. But for now run along to class, and see me after school." Byakuran said, all the dangerous aura dissipating as quickly as morning mist in the sun. He waved cheerfully and grinned.

"Wait."

Everyone turned to look at the direction of the new voice, freezing as they saw that one, terrifying person.

Hibari Kyoya.

_*K*H*R*_

Hibari was looking for the purple-haired girl, having checked her schedule after beating up the seniors. He strode down the hallway, looking for the Technology lab, walking in quick, brisk steps.

He turned the corner just in time to see the girl and her friends being scolded by the Byakuran herbivore.

"-All have excuses. But for now run along to class, and see me after school." The herbivore waved happily, and smiled.

"Wait." Hibari called out. _Stupid, stupid! Not again!_He ignored the voice again, keeping his face impassive. They all turned around to look at him. He saw everyone gape and saw the brown-haired herbivore open his mouth to make his signature scream.

"Cloud Person?" Tsuna whipped his head around to stare at her. Hibari inwardly thanked his lucky stars for the girl to interrupt the small animal before he screamed.

"HIE-eek? Eh?" Tsuna whipped his head back and forth about a dozen times. "Eh? Wha? B-But I don't underst-"

"I need to talk to her." Hibari said smoothly, effectively shutting up the herbivore. He gestured for the petite girl to follow him.

He bowed politely to the white-haired herbivore. "Byakuran-san."

He walked back the way he came, the bewildered girl following. He heard the hysterical boy cry out-

"Cloud Person?"

"Run off to class now Tsunayoshi-kun."

Hibari shrugged. He didn't care what happened to them. He led the way up the stairs to the roof. He opened the door and motioned for her to go outside.

He closed the door, and the both of them stood there in silence. The girl was the one who broke the silence first.

"Umm, Cloud Person, why did you bring me here? I need to go to class." The girl stammered, pointing at the door.

Hibari stood in silence, observing her. Clearly, this girl didn't look like she could fight. _Don't judge a book by its cover. Remember Sawada Tsunayoshi?_ Whispered the voice. Hibari nodded, remembering the boy's nervousness, then he surprised everyone when he suddenly got strong.

"Um... So, I'll go now then." The girl said softly, taking his silence for a yes. She backed up until she reached the door.

"What's your name?"

The girl blinked. "Huh?" He repeated the question.

"Ch-Chrome D-D-Dokuro." He nodded. Chrome furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Is that all you've called me up for?" She asked, fidgeting. "I-I need to get to class, since I missed half my classes yesterday."

"…Why?" The girl blinked her huge eye again, reminding Hibari of an owl. He chuckled, liking the girl's uniqueness.

"Why did you miss your classes yesterday?" He asked, feeling bold enough not to be guarded and wary.

"Uh... I was knocked out by a man." It was Hibari's turn to blink. "Why?"

"We-ell… I guess he was angry?" The girl asked, turning the sentence into a question. Hibari tilted his head.

"And why do you think he was angry?" Chrome's eyes darted around, looking at everything except him.

"Well, he and his gang came to me at lunch. They wouldn't let me go past them so I made them let me go. And, uh, I was going to tell the teachers but the man came and started beating me up." Chrome said in her soft voice.

Hibari crossed his arms. "So how did you get out of there?"

"Mukuro-san helped me." A red haze settled over his eyes. Those three simple words made something in his chest roar ferociously, wanting to get out and destroy the pineapple herbivore until he was a messy pile of idiot.

"…Cloud Person? Are you ok?" He started. The girl had walked up to him and peered anxiously at him, her face closer than her would have liked.

"I'm ok." He replied, trying to calm the monster inside of himself and trying to stop the blood from rushing to his face.

"Are you sure? You look like you have a fever." And before he could do anything, she reached up and pushed his bangs up. At the same time, she brushed aside her own bangs, and pressed her forehead to his.

"!" Hibari stumbled backwards, his hand clutching his forehead, his face a brighter red than before.

"You're a little warm Cloud Person. You should go to-"

"Wha-what did you do that for?" Hibari mumbled, trying to get his thoughts into order.

"To see if you had a fever."

Hibari stared. Chrome fidgeted, edging toward the door again. "Well, if that it, I should go now, since class is almost over…" She trailed off. "Wait." She stopped.

"Why do you call me Cloud Person?" Hibari asked.

"Because I don't know your name."

Silence. Then, "Hibari Kyoya." The girl blinked, then nodded. "Ok. Well, if that's it Cloud Per-"

"Why are you still calling me that?" Hibari interrupted, a tic appearing on his cheek.

"It's because it fits you." Chrome answered. Seeing the confusion on his face she quickly explained.

"It's because when I first saw you, you were alone. And I could see that you're independent. Never being able to be tamed, going your own way, like a floating cloud never being caught." Hibari shifted uneasily. She could see through him with just one look?

"Well, I need to go now. I've already missed half of my classes yesterday, and I can't keep up if I keep on skipping. See you, Cloud Person." She said quietly, closing the door, leaving a dumbfounded Hibari alone on the roof.

_*K*H*R*_

"Kufufu, my cute Chrome. Have you decided to try out for the special club?" Mukuro called, after Chrome sat down at their table. She stared at her plate.

"I…I don't know…" she whispered to the plate. Mukuro smiled at the quiet girl.

"Then you'll just have to try outtt~!" Said Mukuro in a sing-song voice. He smiled at Chrome. "I'll go with you after school. I think Lal's looking for another person anyway." Chrome stared at him confusedly, blinking that huge eye of hers at him.

"…Lal?"

"Lal Mirch. She's one of the coaches." Mukuro grinned. "You'll be fine. Don't worry." He assured her, before continuing eating his lunch.

"Mukuro-chan! Why is she here?" M.M said sourly, clinging on to his arm, preventing him from eating.

"Um, M.M-san, I think he has to eat too." Said Chrome quietly, swallowing a piece of teriyaki chicken. M.M glared at her, and Mukuro chuckled.

"Kufufu… M.M, don't look like that." Mukuro chided, but prying her arms away nonetheless. The red-haired girl pouted, and slid back in her own seat.

"Mukuro-chan, today, after school, do you wanna go to the arcade?" The girl batted her eyelashes so fast that they were a blur. Mukuro chuckled again, but shook his head.

"I'm sorry, but I'm gonna take Chrome to try out for the target shooting team." M.M whipped her head around quickly to stare at Chrome, who looked like she wanted to disappear.

"But-"

"Oi! Stupid woman! Mukuro-san said no!" Ken barked, pausing from shoveling food into his mouth.

"Ken. Close your mouth." Chikusa chided, cutting his chicken into small, neat slices. "And eat your veggies, or you're bowels are going to be bad."

"Why do you care? You're not my mom!" Ken spat, glaring at the quiet teen.

"Yes, but I'm worried that you'll lay another disgusting fart bomb in Mukuro-san's living room." Everybody but Chrome winced. She looked around curiously.

_+Flashback+_

_A few days ago, when everybody was in the living room doing what they were doing, Ken farted. The stench that polluted the room spread quickly, and everybody was out in seconds._

_Mukuro ran out, a gloved hand covering his mouth and nose, the T.V remote still in his left hand. M.M staggered, out coughing, eyes, streaming, and stopping her clarinet practice, the clarinet wedged in between her arms. Chikusa dropped his yo-yo and strode out of the room, dragging Ken outside by the collar._

_Once they were outside, everyone tried to get their breath back._

"_Ken…what… the hell…did you…do?" wheezed M.M, her hands on her knees, keeping herself upright._

"_Ken… if you need… to do this… again… please warn…us first…" Mukuro said weakly, his voice a little muffled since he had collapsed facedown onto the carpet._

"…_K-Ken…" Chikusa choked out. "Eat… your … goddamn veggies…" He gasped out, clutching his chest. . Ken rubbed his neck where Chikusa had dragged him._

"_Oh, don't be such a drama queen Kakipii." Ken scowled. "It wasn't even that bad."_

"'_NOT EVEN THAT BAD?' " shrieked M.M "Are you out of your fucking mind?" She glared daggers. Ken winced, and rubbed his ears._

"_Quiet down will you?" He yelled, throwing his toy denture at her. M.M's face darkened._

_Mukuro and Chikusa sensed the banshee within M.M emerging, and the two hastily got out of the room with excuses like "I'm going to air out the room" or "I want to finish making my pineapple salad!"_

_The two burst out of the room, with their hands covering their ears, and heard M.M scream-_

"_KEN YOU ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING DOG! YOU FARTS SMELL LIKE THE SEWERS! AND TO THINK THAT YOU ACTUALLY LAID ONE IN MUKURO-CHAN'S ROOM! THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!__" Then,-_

_THWACK! SLAP! PUNCH!_

_And the sounds of Ken's yells could be heard throughout the Kokuyo Mansion._

_+End of Flashback+_

Mukuro laughed after he explained what had happened to Chrome and saw the small girl look at Ken with apprehension.

"Kufufu… Don't worry, M.M will take care of him if he does that." Mukuro assured her. The girl nodded, relaxing, until two pairs of hand grasped the underside of her arms, and jerked her away from the table.

_*K*H*R*_

Fran was walking down the hallway to lunch with Bel-senpai when he spotted something that made him stop in his tracks.

"Ushi? Why is the Froggy stopping?" Bel turned in the direction where Fran was staring. "Oh? Isn't that your friend slash sister?" Fran nodded grimly and muttered "Didn't I tell her to stay away from Master?"

Bel stared. "He's your master?" Fran sighed. "Don't ask." He was about to walk to Chrome when a hand gripped his shoulder. Fran turned to see the Head Prefect staring at him.

"Isn't she your friend?" Hibari asked, nodding toward Mukuro's table. Fran nodded, idly wondering why the head prefect would concern himself with a new kid like Chrome.

"I won't allow a new student to be under a bad influence like Rokudo Mukuro." Hibari stated. Fran waited, and then asked "Why are you telling me this?"

Hibari looked at him. "Are you going to separate her from the pineapple herbivore?" Fran nodded again, and eyed him. His eyes widened a little as a thought came to his head._Don't tell me he... likes…_ Fran's thought were cut off.

"Fine." Hibari said. "I need to talk to her too, so let's compromise." Bel stood there and gaped. The Prefect had never, ever,_ever_compromised. Fran agreed, thinking that it would be better if both of them pulled her away since he too was small. So the both of them strode over to the table and yanked Chrome away.

_*K*H*R*_

Hibari was walking past the cafeteria when he noticed something that made his blood boil. Chrome was sitting with his arch-enemy. He clenched his fists. He would not, under no circumstances, let Chrome sit with delinquents like Mukuro or the rest of his gang.

He saw her emotionless friend staring at her table along with the idiot with the tiara. He walked over to them.

"-your Master?"

"Don't ask." As the green-haired herbivore was about to walk away, he quickly grasped his shoulder to stop him.

"Isn't she your friend?" Hibari asked, trying to calm himself. The kid nodded. "I won't allow a new student to be under a bad influence like Rokudo Mukuro." Said Hibari, thinking of an excuse to whisk the small girl away.

The herbivore waited for him to speak, but when Hibari did nothing, he asked "Why are you telling me this?" Hibari inwardly growled. So this kid wasn't as stupid as he hoped.

"Aren't you going to separate her from the pineapple herbivore?" He asked, trying to cover up his irritation and to stop himself from running over, bashing Mukuro's face in, and taking Chrome away.

But reality set in, and he realized that Mukuro was never surprised, and at this level, he wouldn't be able to even lay a finger on him. Hibari wasn't stupid to try and lie to himself, as much as he hated to admit it.

The kid nodded, but didn't say anything, which made him even more annoyed. He was itching to go but all the herbivore did was stand there and stare.

"Fine." Hibari said, becoming desperate, so he decided to do the thing he hated to most. "I need to talk to her too, so let's compromise." Ugh. He hated crowding. He set his jaw, and waited for the stupid green-haired herbivore to answer.

"Sure." Hibari nodded and the both of them strode over to their table. They grabbed Chrome, and she gave a little "Eep!" of surprise. Mukuro stood up, his eyes glittering dangerously.

"Kufufu… Hibari-kun. What are you doing here?" The teen let go of Chrome and handed her to the green-haired kid.

"F-Fran, what's going on?" He ignored her, and the both of them glared at Mukuro.

"Oh dear Hibari-kun, what on earth are you doing?" Mukuro said, his mismatched eyes glittering even more dangerously. He reached for his staff. People were beginning to stare. Mukuro noticed the green-haired kid.

"Ah, Little One, you're here t-"

"Don't call me that." The herbivore called Fran/Little One said coldly. Mukuro's eyes widened in surprise. "Little one? What's wrong?"

"I said don't call me that." Fran glared, slipping out of his emotionless mask. The tiara idiot and Chrome shifted uneasily. Chrome tugged on Fran's shirt.

"Fran… let's go… you and Cloud person wanted to talk… so let's go…" She said quietly, trying to pull him away. Hibari came up to pull him away too so he could talk to Chrome.

The green-haired herbivore shook them off, glaring at them, silently warning them to stay out of it. He turned to the confused teen.

"Little one? What's wrong?" Fran glared at him and everyone in the cafeteria sensed the tense atmosphere, and soon the room was emptied within seconds.

"Mukuro. If you don't know what's wrong, then I can't help you. But stay away from Chrome." The kid said, his eyes full of hatred. "And if you call me that one more time, I will kill you. I swear it."

Hibari, the weird herbivore, and Chrome stared. Fran was beginning to shake with fury and the rest of the Kokuyo gang stood up.

"If you're gonna talk to her then go away- byon!" Ken crossed his arms.

"Mukuro-san. We should go." Chikusa murmured. M.M ran over and clung onto Mukuro's arm and stuck out her tongue.

"Mukuro-chan, let's go." The pineapple herbivore glanced at Chrome for a moment, and hesitated, clearly unsure whether or not he should leave her with them. Hibari twitched. _Leave already pineapple. Nobody wants you here._

"Chrome?" Mukuro asked uncertainly, and offered his hand for her to take. Chrome eyed the gloved hand, and then looked at Hibari and the others.

And shook her head.

The teen stiffened a little, and smiled falsely.

"Kufufu. Oh well. See you later then my cute Chrome." He smiled, and turned to M.M.

"I guess we'll be going to that arcade after all." The herbivore left the cafeteria with his lackeys. Hibari saw Chrome breathe out in relief and turned to look at them.

"F-Fran, what's wrong?" She asked. A tic appeared on the skylark's check_. What about me?_ Chrome noticed, and nodded a hello to him. Hibari shrugged. It was better than nothing.

"Fran?"

"Froggy?" both of them were getting worried. Not that Hibari wasn't. It was just that the kid had snapped out of his emotionless self so quickly it was…weird.

"Fran? Are you ok?" Chrome said, worriedly pressing her forehead against his. Hibari's inner self roared in outrage. _What the hell am I thinking?_ He shook his head quickly to clear his head.

Fran looked at Chrome before he said-

"Stay away from Master. He's not the nice person you think he is." The girl blinked. "Master?"

The bell suddenly rang, signaling the end of lunch. Fran ignored it. His eyes narrowed.

"We are skipping school today." He declared before dragging Chrome out. Hibari stepped forward.

"I believe I need to talk to her. And skipping school is not allowed, or I'll have to bite you to death."

"No way in_hell _are you going to stop us. We're skipping whether you like it or not. And if you want to talk to her, talk to the hand." Fran spat, and raised a hand in front of Hibari's face. "I need to talk to her privately, and you are _not_going to stop us. Now. Get. Out. Of. The. Way." Fran snarled, before pushing past him. Bel grinned, and followed.

"Ushishi. I like this Froggy more."

_*K*H*R*_

Ok, so I'm gonna explain everything about Mammon, Fran, and Chrome in the next chap and why he wants her to stay away from Mukuro. There are gonna be more HibaChrome scenes but you guys have to be patient cuz I'm having a little trouble thinking how to get the both of them alone and stuff. Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: I do not own KHR. I am really sorry I couldn't upload this sooner. Sorry again! Thank you for waiting!**_

"F-Fran? Are we going home?" Chrome asked nervously. She was scared of this new, angry, showing-his-emotions Fran.

"Yes. We are. And Bel, if you promise to keep quiet then I'll answer all your questions." Fran answered, going back to his emotionless self. Chrome breathed out in relief. So the worst was over.

Bel, however, pouted.

"Aw, I liked the angry Froggy better. It was much more entertaining. Ushishishi." Bel grinned, and crossed his arms behind his head. "Oh, well. It was fun while it lasted."

The three walked home quietly, occasionally kicking a rock back and forth for fun. This time, when they reached the house, Bel strode forward, yanked open the door, and yelled "Ladies and gentlemen! We are BACK!"

Mammon looked up from her papers, annoyed. "What now?" She sighed. Bel grinned.

"Well, you see-"

"Mammon-nee, I need to talk to you in private. Chrome, you just relax. Idiot-senpai, you touch anything, I swear I'll never let you eat my homemade sushi ever again." Fran said monotonously.

Bel's jaw dropped. "You can't do that!" he howled, pounding his fists on the floor, like a spoiled brat. It was rather immature, Chrome thought privately. Fran was unfazed.

"I mean it." Fran said sternly, although there was no emotion on his face. Then he turned, grabbed Mammon's hand, and walked out of the room to the kitchen.

_*K*H*R*_

Mammon stared. And stared. And stared. When she could no longer stand the silence, she was the one who broke the silence.

"Fran. What is this about? I need to finish my job applications." She said. Fran smiled, a little bit smugly.

"I knew you wouldn't be able to stay quiet." He said triumphantly. Mammon sighed. "Then, must you always stay quiet so you can win this little game of yours?" Fran nodded.

"Yes, I must."

Mammon sighed. "I can't believe you're still acting like such a brat." She muttered. "Whatever. It doesn't involve money anyway, so I'm not interested."

Fran suddenly became serious.

"Aneki. Would you mind telling Chrome about you and Mukuro?" The woman sucked in a breath.

"Please?" The boy asked quickly. "I mean, Chrome doesn't seem to get his danger levels." Fran rushed on. "And I don't want another sister hurt, so…yeah."

Mammon looked at him from under her hood. "I'm not sure. I mean, it won't change the way she thinks about him or anything."

"I know," Fran said. "But I just want her to be on her guard just in case." Mammon raised a hidden eyebrow.

"Really? You really aren't secretly hoping that this will change her perspective and make her avoid him?" Fran bit his lip guiltily and stared at the floor.

"Well…"

Mammon smiled; something that she didn't do often. "Fran. Make something up. She'll believe you." The green-haired boy looked up.

"Really?" Fran asked. The woman nodded. The teen smiled a little. "Well, I don't really like lying to her but it'll have to do. And now I can tell her and keep you secret."

Mammon nodded again before something struck her. "Wait. How did you get here?"

"Easy." Fran shrugged. "We walked."

"I meant," she took a breath. "Why aren't you in school? School's not over yet." She eyed Fran.

Fran hesitated. "Ah. Why aren't we in school?" He casually walked over to the sink and grabbed a cookie. "Well, that is a _very_ good question. Um... so… why don't I get back to you later?" He finished, before sprinting to the door.

"Hold it." Mammon seized the edge of his frog hoodie. Fran gulped. "I asked you a question. Why aren't you in school?" Her left eye flashed.

"We…sk-"

"If you skipped, no more watching CSI: New York on school nights anymore." Mammon growled.

"We- We got permission!" Fran blurted. Mammon paused. "Really?" Fran hesitated. The truth was, they skipped, but the head prefect didn't do anything, which counted for permission…sort of.

"…Yeah." Mammon relaxed. "Good. Because if you skip, then I'll have to bribe the teachers to make them forget about this again."

Fran mentally sighed in relief. He opened the fridge door.

"So, what are we making for dinner?"

_*K*H*R*_

"Thimf isth greath!" said Bel with his mouth full. Chrome looked slightly disgusted.

"Bel-senpai, could you swallow before talking? It's disgusting to see your mouth full of mashed potatoes and steak." Fran mono-toned, slicing his steak into pieces before putting it in his mouth.

Bel swallowed. "I said, this is great! Froggy and Mammon's homemade food was always the best." Fran nodded, and turned to Chrome.

"Hey!" whined Bel. "Aren't you going to thank me for the compliment?"

"No."

"Bel, just eat. You're staying over again right?" Mammon said, pouring herself a new glass of water. Bel nodded, a grin appearing.

"That's right! I don't wanna go home! This place is awesome!" He poked the lettuce. "But, I don't like your veggies."

"You hate all veggies." Said Mammon, sounding amused. "So what's the difference?"

Bel grinned, and the smile was so wide it threatened to split his face. "It's because there's no salad dressing." Chrome quickly reached over and plunked the salad dressing in front of Bel.

"Here you go." She said quietly. Bel nodded his thanks, and poured a generous amount of dressing on his salad.

"Chrome." Fran said, ignoring Bel's munching. Chrome turned to look at Fran, swallowing a mouth of mashed potato.

"Be careful when you're around Master."

Chrome furrowed her brow. "…Master?" She asked.

"Mukuro used to be my tutor." Fran explained. "And I need you to be careful because he's dangerous." Chrome noticed Mammon stiffen, but chose to say nothing.

"…How dangerous?"

"Very dangerous. You know the rest of his idiot gang?" Chrome nodded, remembering Ken, M.M, and Chikusa.

"Well, he would ditch them if it meant saving his own skin." Fran said. Chrome's eye widened. "Really? But he helped me." She protested.

"Yeah, well. I don't know all his motives, but you should be careful." Fran's emotionless eyes bored into her. The small girl shifted in her seat.

"Ok. I promise to be on my guard." She promised.

"Oi! Froggy!" Bel said, perking up. "You said you'd answer my questions if I shut up about this." Fran nodded, and settled in his seat. "Go on."

"Ushishi. Ok, um… you said that she-" Bel waved his fork in Chrome's direction "- is your family. But whenever you came to school, she wasn't with you. And when Mammon came to pick you up, she wasn't with her either. So how on earth is she your family?" the blonde asked, before shoving another mouthful of lettuce in his mouth.

"Well, when we were kids, be were best friends. We still are. But Chrome's parents weren't that good so me and Mammon took her away and she stays with us. She used to go to Midori middle school." Fran answered, and stood up to clear the table.

"Oh. What about your parents then Froggy? Is there only you and Mammon?" Bel picked up his plate and walked to the kitchen, everyone else following.

"Me and Mammon don't have parents." The teen said, rinsing the dishes and putting them into the dishwasher. "And Mammon's applying for more jobs, since her old job wasn't producing enough money."

"Ah. I see. Oh, when did you get Chrome the BB gun?" Chrome and Mammon left the kitchen to go into the living room.

"When Chrome was ten, I saw that she had amazing aim, and always won the shooting games at the fair. So I bought her the BB gun to help her protect herself." Fran grabbed a cookie and jammed it in his mouth. He walked into the living room.

Fran grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, and switched the channel to watch CSI: New York. The Prince laughed. "Ushishi. Froggy, you are addicted."

"Whatever. If you're gonna sleepover, then call your parents. I'm not sure if you can wear my clothes though." Fran said, his eyes glued to the TV. Bel got up and went to the other room to call his parents, while Fran watched CSI.

Mammon went back to her job applications, and everyone was quiet, only the sound of the TV interrupting the silence. Bel walked in and sat next to Fran.

"Froggy? When does this thing end?" Bel played with a strand of Fran's hair.

"At nine. Why?" Fran's eyes were still glued to the TV.

"We still need to do our homework."

"I usually do it at nine thirty. It's not that hard."

"Ok, whatever the Froggy says." And Bel shifted around so he could sit in his favorite position, and everyone sat in comfortable silence.

"Hey, where's Froggy's peasant friend?" Bel said, noticing that Chrome was nowhere in the room.

"She went to feed Fukurou.(1)" The blonde wrinkled his nose in confusion.

"…Fukurou?" At that moment, Chrome walked in with an owl perched on her shoulder.

"That's Fukurou." Fran said. At the sound of it name, Fukurou looked at the green-haired teen and hooted.

"Fukurou? An owl?" Bel asked, gazing at the owl. The owl glared back.

"This is my pet owl, Fukurou." Said Chrome. "Fukurou, say hi to Bel-san." The owl eyed the blonde beadily before flying to Bel and settling on his head.

"Ushishishi. Cool." Said the Prince, looking upwards to look at the owl. Suddenly, the owl started to seize up and jerk. "Uh… I think it's having a seizure."

Chrome looked worried. "Bel-san! Please brush Fukurou off! Now please!" Chrome said, quickly running forward. Fran stopped watching TV to look at the scene. "He's not having a seizure Bel-san, He's-"

PLOP!

An owl pellet dropped onto Bel's face, in between his eyes.

Chrome froze.

Fran smirked.

Mammon laughed softly.

Bel twitched.

Fukurou hooted and ruffled his feathers, obviously pleased with himself.

And chaos descended into the living room.

_*K*H*R*_

Hibari could not believe that Chrome's emotionless friend had snapped. One minute he was fine, and the next, he was yelling his head off. He was stunned, but let them go. He knew it was something serious.

He sat on the roof, yawning and staring at the clouds.

"Hibari! Hibari!" Hibird fluttered down and perched in his hair. "Hibari!" He preened the skylark's hair. Hibari smiled before he lay down and drifted off to sleep.

_It is dark. He opens his eyes, only to see an old building that is going up in flames. Hibari rushes in, looking for something he doesn't even know, something he needs,__wants__to protect. The skylark hears the flames licking the walls hungrily, feels the heat burning him-and yet- he continues._

_He opens every single door, throwing it open, not caring if it was on fire or not. It is something he must find and save from this building._

_But the flames disappear, and he is standing on darkness… Hibari falls, only to hear a soft, musical voice, a voice ever so familiar…_

_And he lands with a thump in front of an unfamiliar house. The building is deserted. No one is there. The skylark is alone. Until he hears a scream._

_He bursts through the door freeing himself from his jacket as it snags on something. He opens a door and finds a girl and a man. A bloodied girl cowering on the floor and a man holding a broken alcohol bottle. The man raises his arm a strikes the girl-__with the bottle.____The girl with the purple hair -so familiar somehow- shrieks as the glass breaks in her face._

_She holds her bloody face and whimpers. Her right eye is bleeding profusely. The man guffaws and kicks her viciously. Hibari lunges forward at the man to protect the girl. He grimaces as he smells alcohol, smoke, and whatever else there is._

_The man disappears in purple vapor. Hibari turns to look at the girl and kneels down to help her. As the girl looks up at him, he remembers that huge, violet left eye that could only belong to one person._

_He gasps as the floor gives way and the last thing he sees is the girl's bloody face and her hand reaching out to him-_

And he woke up with a jolt.

Hibari rubbed his temples. That dream was way too unsettling for him. He stared at his hands. Hibird, sensing his uneasiness, hopped into his hands so Hibari could look at him.

"Midori tanabiku namimori no…" the canary chirped happily. The skylark smiled briefly, before frowning again.

That dream about the new transfer student, Chrome Dokuro, was a little weird. But, as much as he hated to admit it, ever since he met her, he kept thinking about her uniqueness. Like when he stared at the clouds when he was on the school roof, the first thing he would think of was-

"…_Cloud Person? Are you ok?" He started. The girl had walked up to him and peered anxiously at him, her face closer than her would have liked._

"_I'm ok." He replied, trying to calm the monster inside of himself and trying to stop the blood from rushing to his face._

"_Are you sure? You look like you have a fever." And before he could do anything, she reached up and pushed his bangs up. At the same time, she brushed aside her own bangs, and pressed her forehead to his._

"_!" Hibari stumbled backwards, his hand clutching his forehead, his face a brighter red than before._

"_You're a little warm Cloud Person. You should go to-"_

"_Wha-what did you do that for?" Hibari mumbled, trying to get his thoughts into order._

"_To see if you had a fever."_

Hibari massaged his temples again, trying desperately to stop his head from throbbing- and to rid himself of these herbivorous feelings.

"Hibari?" Hibird chirped tentatively, not knowing how to act with his master in a different mood. The skylark stared at the small bird, a sudden thought striking him.

He could do it. He taught Hibird how to say his name, taught him how to sing the school anthem. This was only a word, and Hibird was smart enough to do this.

"…Hey… little one." Hibari stroked the bird with a finger. The bird chirped happily. Hibari hesitated, before saying, "Chrome." Here, he poked the bird's beak.

"Chrome." He said clearly, red tinting his cheeks. The bird ruffled its wings before announcing "Rom!"

"Chrome." Hibari corrected lightly, shaking his head at the bird.

Half an hour later, he succeeded.

"Chrome! Chrome!" The little bird chirped before flying away singing the school anthem. The teen smiled before getting up to leave. The sun was already setting, and he turned to look at the orange sky.

He hesitated, before tentatively trying to say her name. "Chrome. Chrome Dokuro." He liked the way it sounded, liked the way it rolled off his lips. He smiled a little before shaking his head quickly.

"Stupid herbivore's feelings are rubbing off on me."

_*K*H*R*_

Mukuro was pissed. He liked the new girl and her strange ways. But, of all things, the head prefect just had to come and ruin it. He was building up the courage to ask Chrome after school to go to the amusement park on Saturday to get to know her more. He growled softly. M.M turned to look at him from her desk.

Are you ok? She mouthed.

"Miss M.M. Please pay attention." Said Aria-sensei softly. M.M turned, scowling. Aria smiled, then continued.

Mukuro tried to focus on his geography. Aria-sensei was one of the teachers he respected, but he couldn't concentrate. He gripped his pen even more tightly when he replayed the incident in his head. He shook his head, trying to get a grip. He could always ask tomorrow.

But there was one thing on his mind. When on earth did his little one be so cold? When he was tutoring Fran, he thought they were both friends. After tutoring him, they remained close and exchanged emails.

However, one day Little One started acting distant with him. Even though he was distant, he would still talk to Mukuro a little. But today was just strange the way his little one exploded. He thought about how they met and laughed softly.

_+Flashback+_

_Mukuro was lying on his back, staring at the clouds. The rest of the Kokuyo gang went to the arcade. The purple-haired teen opted to relax, so they split up and agreed to meet at the house at 7._

"_Mukuro. I hear you're a good fighter." Mukuro turned toward the direction of the voice. A green-haired boy stood there. He looked a little younger than Mukuro._

"…_So?" He asked._

_The green-haired teen tilted his chin up, his face emotionless. "Teach me." He said boldly._

_Mukuro was stunned. "Me? Teach you?" He asked, indicating himself. The boy nodded._

"_Yes, you. Teach Me." Mukuro smiled._

"_Kufufu… you do have a backbone… but I'm afraid I have to decline." Mukuro lay back on his arms and closed his mismatched eyes. "You see, I'm no teacher. I guess most people would call me…what did they call it again? Ah yes, a 'delinquent.' Your parents would probably not want you to."_

"_Probably. If I had any parents." He opened an eye to look at the kid. "Oh? But I'm sorry, I don't teach."_

"_You don't sound sorry." Mukuro got up and slid his staff out. "Kufufu… Are you provoking me?"_

"_It depends. Are you going to teach me?"_

"_No."_

"_Then yes. I am provoking you." Mukuro smiled. "But I don't think you'd be able to little girl." He purposely called the kid a girl to make him stomp off._

_But the kid did nothing of that sort. "I'm a boy." He said simply, his voice flat. "And I want you to teach me, whether you like it or not, Pineapple Faerie." A tic appeared on the said teen's face._

"_Don't provoke me."_

"_Then teach me." The boy mono-toned. Mukuro was getting annoyed of the flat voice and emotionless face._

"_I don't teach."_

"_Then test me or give me hell or spar or whatever. But teach me." Oh, lord._

"_Did anybody tell you that you are annoyingly persistent?"_

"_You would be the first." He said._

"…_Are you like that all the time?" The older teen asked._

"_Like what?"_

"_You know, annoyingly emotionless, flat voice, the tendency to annoy the heck out of people?"_

"_Yes."_

"_I pity your friends." The kid nodded. "So, will you teach me?"_

_Mukuro threw up his hands. "Fine. If you can land a blow on me, then I'll teach you." The teen nodded._

"_Ok." Mukuro settled in a stance._

"_Don't think that I'll be easy on you just 'cause you're smaller and younger." Mukuro warned. "And I'm Rokudo Mukuro" He added._

_The teen nodded. "Ok. I'm Fran." The purple-haired teen smiled, and lunged at Fran. He swung the staff down diagonally with his right hand. Fran dodged, but received a blow on his stomach from Mukuro's left hand._

_To Mukuro's surprise, Fran didn't even wince, or gasp in pain. He stayed in his emotionless self. Fran grabbed Mukuro's left hand, twisted and pulled the arm over his right shoulder, rammed his hip into Mukuro's stomach and pulled him over his shoulder._

_Mukuro wasn't expecting a judo move, but he managed to roll on the ground and get up in a crouch._

_He smirked. This was going to be more fun than he thought. He lunged at the younger boy and jumped mid-air, his left leg snaking out and catching Fran on his chin._

_The green-haired boy tumbled backwards, and did a back roll to get up in a crouch. Miraculously, his chin was a little scuffed, but not bleeding._

_Fran ran forward before dropping and rolling, timing it perfectly, so when he got up in a crouch, he was kneeling right in front of Mukuro. He dodged another strike from the purple-hair's staff, and tried to do a leg sweep. Mukuro jumped over his leg, but was surprised._

_Fran thrusted his palm up, and although the purple-haired teen whipped his head back, he felt it brush his chin._

_Fran straightened up. "Is that ok?" Mukuro nodded. "Kufufufu… you're better than I thought."_

"_Ok. So when can you start?" The older teen smiled. "Sunday. Meet me at the park." The green-haired boy nodded, and turned to leave, wiping his chin._

"_Oh, and by the way, you have to call me Master." Mukuro called. Fran turned. "Why?"_

"_You'll call me Master, and I'll call you little one." Fran hesitated for a moment, then nodded._

"_Deal."_

_+End of Flashback+_

Mukuro twirled his pen, idly wondering when class would end. The bell suddenly rang. Aria clapped her hands.

"Ok, class is dismissed. I want you guys to finish the work sheet and hand it to me tomorrow. Good day." She called. Everyone got up murmuring and packing up. M.M and the rest of the gang came up to Mukuro.

"So, let's go to the arcade." Ken said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. Chikusa nodded.

"Mukuro-chan, are you ok?" M.M asked. Mukuro smiled. "I'm fine."

M.M's eyes narrowed. "But-"

"Mukuro-san, look!" Ken said excitedly. He was pointing at the door. A tall blond-haired man was standing in the doorway.

Aria stood up, blushing a little. "Gamma, you're here early." The man called Gamma smiled, and pressed his lips to her cheek with the tattoo.

"Let's go. You need a ride right?" he asked Aria. She nodded, still smiling her radiant smile. He took her hand and they walked together out of the building.

Ken snickered. "Aria-sensei has a boyfriend?"

"Aww! Aria and that Gamma dude look cute together!" Squealed M.M. "I hope they marry someday." M.M sighed dreamily, clasping her hands together.

Chikusa shook his head. "Gamma works for Aria. They can't be together." M.M crossed her arms.

"How do you know? They might be together." She stuck out her tongue at Chikusa. "Besides, if she has enough money to have someone to work for her, why is she a teacher? I mean, it doesn't exactly bring in a lot of money."

Chikusa pushed up his glasses. "I meant, Aria owns a bar, and Gamma's a bartender there." M.M's face fell. "Oh."

Mukuro slung his bag over his shoulder, not taking part of their usual banter. M.M noticed. She slipped her arm through his.

"Are you sure you're ok?" She asked gently, while Ken yelled at Chikusa about random things.

Mukuro nodded and smiled. "Kufufu. Let's go to the arcade. Race you!" He yelled at Ken and Chikusa, and climbed out the window.

"Hey! No fair Mukuro-san!" Ken yelled, climbing out of the window.

"Don't climb out of the window!" M.M yelled.

"Take a chill pill." Ken poked his head through the window. "It's only the first floor."

"Still, the teacher's might yell at us!" M.M said. Chikusa jumped through the window. He turned to face her.

"You're just scared that we'll see your panties." He said flatly, pushing up his glasses.

"No, I'm not! I'm wearing spandex underneath my skirt, genius!" She yelled, and jumped through the window.

_*K*H*R*_

The next day, Mukuro woke up early, determined to talk to Chrome before school. He was going to suck it up, ask her, and hope that everything was going to be ok.

He showered quickly, and went downstairs.

"Morning Mukuro-chan!"

"Good morning Mukuro-san."

"Heth Mukruo! Dith ya havth a gooth sleep?" Ken called his mouth full of pancakes.

Mukuro nodded and poured himself a glass of OJ.

M.M eyed him. "Mukuro-chan?" Mukuro sensed that M.M was going to question him, and quickly stood up, shoveling the rest of his pancakes into his mouth.

"I'm going to school! I forgot that I need to go something." The teen declared before rushing out the door. As he shut the door, he breathed out in relief.

He had managed to evade M.M. For now. But it was better than nothing. He quickly set off towards the school.

As he walked through, he said hi to a few students who dared to greet him, and he quickly sought out the girl he wanted to talk to. He scanned the crowd of students. He didn't see her, and he was beginning to worry that she wasn't coming to school or she was already in class.

Then he saw a flash of purple hair.

_*K*H*R*_

Chrome was talking to Yamamoto about Collonello, who was the other teacher of the 'special class thingy', as Mukuro had put it. Yamamoto was part of the team since he was amazing at kendo and baseball. He could also make good sushi, which made him qualify for the class. The tall boy was explaining about the teams.

"You see, in the class we do many different types of stuff. Right now, it's self-defense, so Collonello and Lal both help brush up our techniques at fighting and all.

"Me, Tsuna, Basil, Bel, Gokudera, and Ryohei are part of it. Collonello's trying to get one more person in because he feels that the number six is an unlucky number." Chrome nodded, showing that she understood.

"So all of you are good at kendo?" She asked quietly.

He grinned. "Nope. It's like a mix of everything. Tsuna and Basil are good at close combat, and Tsuna's got amazing intuition. Basil is good at medical stuff and literature. I do kendo and baseball, and I can also make sushi, if that counts for anything. Ryohei does Muay Thai and boxing, and he's got incredible stamina. Well, Gokudera is an expert with dynamites, science and math. That kid's a genius. Bel… well, he's got amazing perceptive; and he's a genius also. Ask him anything and he will know it. He's also good at medical stuff too, amazingly."

Chrome bit her lip nervously, thinking that if Bel was good at medical stuff, it was probably for the gore, and not the healing.

Yamamoto hummed to himself after the conversation, and Chrome sat there. She looked around, and decided to try out. "Where-meep!" She was interrupted because she was glomped but someone.

"Kufufu, Good morning my cute Chrome!" Mukuro nuzzled her. "How are you doing?"

"Mukuro-san." She acknowledged him quietly. Yamamoto grinned, waved, and left.

"My cute Chrome, are you free this Saturday?" He asked, pulling back from his hugging.

"Why do you ask?" she said, a little louder than a whisper. She stared at the ground, not making eye contact when she remembered what Fran told her.

"Well, I wanted to invite you to the fun fair!" Mukuro smiled and ruffled her hair- which had just fallen flat after Yamamoto had ruffled it.

"Um… I need to ask Fran." She said, still not making looking at him.

"Oh! And about that, do you know why my little one is so cold?" Mukuro asked. "He's become to mean!" He whined.

Her head snapped up. "You mean you don't know?" Mukuro shook his head. Chrome observed him. He seemed sincere enough. Her huge violet eye looked him up and down. The purple-haired boy shifted uneasily.

"Umm… I don't know either. And about the fair… I… Can I call you later with the answer? I need to ask Fran." She looked away. Mukuro smiled understandingly. He planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Ok, I'll be waiting." He disappeared. She sat dumbly for a minute, her mind not working yet. Then the blush kicked in and she clutched her cheek.

"I can't believe he does that to me so frequently…" She murmured, smiling.

_*K*H*R*_

Hibari was standing near the gate, looking at the gate to see if there were any latecomers. His eyes followed the pineapple herbivore since he had an appetite for bringing trouble. His hands twitched. He was dying to get his tonfas and beat the herbivore up.

He froze when he saw him sit with Chrome.

Hibari stood there, numb, not sure whether to sneak over to listen or to stay there and continue to enforce discipline.

The skylark stood there staring at Chrome. He saw Mukuro hug her. He clenched his hands. When he stopped hugging the small girl, Hibari was satisfied that she didn't look at Mukuro.

Then he saw the herbivore smile, then he leaned in and kissed her cheek. His heart clenched. The pineapple walked away. The small girl did absolutely nothing, until Hibari saw a blush rise, saw her clutch her cheek, and saw her smile.

And his heart dropped to the floor faster than anyone could say "Heartbroken".

He slowly turned to stare at the gate dully. He started when a hand clamped down on his shoulder. He whipped around, his tonfas already out. He was glad someone was here so he could beat his frustration out on a lump of meat.

He stopped when he saw Dino.

"Cavallone herbivore." He nodded, slowly putting away his tonfas. The dullness came back in a rush.

Dino grinned. "Hey Kyoya! What's up with the dullness?" Hibari looked away. Dino frowned. "Kyoya, what's wrong?"

"Shut up or I'll bite you to death." The skylark glared at the blonde. Dino just peered anxiously at Hibari.

"Kyoya, is something wrong? You'd never bite a teacher to death! It's defiling discipline!" The blonde quickly pressed a hand to his forehead. "Are you sick? Did you see something you shouldn't have?"

Hibari ducked out. "I'm not sick." He snapped. When Dino asked if he was sick, it brought the Chrome incident on the roof along with it. He quickly tried to push out the thought. He rubbed his temples.

"Stupid female herbivore." He muttered. Dino took a step back.

"…Kyoya, are you in love?"

Heat quickly rose in the skylark's face. "No! I'm not! Carnivores are alone. That's why they're strong." He said.

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" he grinned and pinched Hibari's cheek. "Aww! Kyoya, who is it?" Hibari gritted his teeth.

"I said it's no one." Hibari ground out. Dino gasped and clapped both hands to his cheeks.

"Oh my. Kyoya… could it possibly be… a _one-sided_love?" Hibari did nothing.

"Oh dear. Poor Kyoya." Dino patted his head. The skylark shook his head. "I don't like anyone. " He insisted. "Carnivores aren't weak." The blonde smiled and leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"But carnivores have hearts too." Hibari stared at Dino, and the teacher smiled before walking away. He stood there numbly, before the bell rang. He stood there thoughtfully until he heard a scream.

"HIEEEEEEEEE! I'M LATE! HIBARI-SAN IS GOING TO KILL ME!" Hibari gritted his teeth again. He sank into a stance.

"You're going to regret interrupting my thoughts."

_*K*H*R__*_

"Fran." Chrome whispered. She poked him with her pencil. "Fran." She said as loudly as she dared. The teacher turned around from writing on the board.

"VOOOOI! NOT TALKING BRATS!" Squalo glared. Chrome mentally cursed. Stupid teacher still had ears like a hawk even though his own voice was loud enough to make anyone deaf.

"OK!" he turned from the board. It said in big, bold, capital letters: 'NO BRATS ARE PERMITTED TO TALK WHILE THIS GODDAMN TEACHER IS SPEAKING.'

"I WROTE THE RULES ON THE BOARD SINCE THERE'S A NEW KID HERE!" Squalo yelled. "IF YOU ARE WONDERING, KID WITH THE PURPLE HAIR, THAT THERE ARE NO MORE RULES, IT BECAUSE ART IS MESSY, YOU HEAR ME? MESSY!

"SO, WHEN YOU DO ART, FEEL IT! BECOME IT! POUR YOUR SOUL INTO IT!" he bellowed. Chrome winced.

"VOIIIIII!" the girl jumped. Fran patted her shoulder. "It's his catch-phrase. Get used to it." he said. She nodded, swallowing. The silver-haired man passed around blocks of wood.

"TODAY WE ARE-" Squalo threw a block of wood into the air. "CARVING!" he roared. While the block of wood was still in the air, he whipped out a knife. The block of wood fell and Squalo swung his knife so fast it looked like he was going it randomly.

The block of wood fell onto the floor with a thud. Only, it wasn't a block of wood anymore. It was a carving of a shark. Everyone 'ooh' ed. Squalo picked it up, looking smug.

"GET IT BRATS! NOW, BEGIN! BE ONE WITH THE TOOLS!" Everyone quickly picked up their tools and started chipping away.

"So, what were you going to tell me?" Fran asked, chipping. Chrome was frightened.

"Aren't we supposed to keep quiet?" she whispered. Fran shrugged. "It's ok. He doesn't mind it if you talk. Just that you have to listen while he's talking."

"Oh."

"So? What is it?" Chrome nibbled her lip and started carving again. "Um…" Fran's eyes narrowed a little. "Chrome?"

"Mukuro asked me to go the fair with him on Saturday!" she blurted. Fran blinked.

"Oh. What time are you going to meet him?" he asked emotionlessly, turning back to his carving. She furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Aren't… aren't you mad?"

"Why would I be mad?" Fran asked, his face impassive. A chunk of wood fell off his block. "Crap. That wasn't supposed to fall off."

"Well, um. So can I go?" She asked, hacking away at her block.

"Sure. But be sure to fill your BB gun and take it along with you. And when I have enough money, I'll make sure to get you a Taser." She nodded and smiled at him.

By the end of the class, Squalo walked around the room looking at their work. He nodded appreciatively at Fran's sculpture of a frog with a tiara crouching on a lily.

He stopped when he saw Chrome's.

"VOIIII! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" he yelled, a tic appearing. The girl fidgeted.

"An… owl?" She said, turning the answer into a question. She had tried to carve an owl perched on a branch but it came out looking like a troll on a blob.

"VOIII! IT LOOKS NOTHING LIKE AN OWL!" Chrome winced and plugged her ears.

"DON'T YOU PLUG YOUR EARS ON ME, BRAT!" he roared.

The bell rang, and everyone sprinted for the door.

"PURPLE-HAIRED KID, I TOLD YOU TO BECOME ON WITH THE TOOLS!" Chrome ran out, covering her ears.

"DON'T YOU DARE PLUG YOUR EARS ON ME, BRAT! GET BACK OVER HERE!"

_*K*H*R*_

Fran sat listening to the other's presentation about capital punishment. He yawned. Basil was up, and he was struggling to use modern English.

Fran snapped back to his senses and tried to listen to Basil.

"Capital punishment is a punishment for prisoners. Thy thought- um- I think that we shouldn't because thou art humans too, so thou- I mean, they are humans too, so they ought to hath thy chance to live. I mean they." Fran dozed off again, not concentrating. He stared listlessly out the window.

He thought about Chrome. Her going out with Master? He was scared that she'd get hurt, like Mammon, but he couldn't shake the feeling that the person who attacked Mammon_wasn't_ Master. Although Mammon said it looked exactly like him, with the same voice and such, there was one gaping hole in her story.

Why would he hurt her? Mammon didn't do anything to him. And he was pretty close to Master. After the incident, he had acted differently with the older teen, distant, but Master seemed genuinely confused.

But he knew Master, and his Master was an expert at hiding his feelings and so forth. He rubbed a hand over his eyes. He was so confusing.

The head prefect too. He seemed to have a soft spot for Chrome. Fran didn't know what to do. He rubbed his temples.

"Ah, Fran, you're next!" called Shouichi. Fran glared at him. Although it was more like staring at him blankly. It was a trick he learned from Mammon, to stare at someone till they cave in.

"Uh… Um…" the red-haired man started sweating profusely. "I…Um… how about you Tsunayoshi?" Tsuna stood up sweating. Fran smiled a little.

Fran sighed. If only he could send someone to look out for Chrome this Saturday. He grinned when the perfect person came to mind. And this person couldn't possibly say no.

"It's about time I give a call to the head prefect…"

_*K*H*R*_

Chrome walked home with Fran, and Bel followed them back home again.

"Ushishi. Froggy, I'm sleeping over again!" he sang, dancing around. Chrome looked at Fran to see how he would respond. Surprisingly, he did nothing.

"Ok." He said simply, while staring at the phone in his hands. He texted someone, not caring where he was going.

"Froggy!" Bel quickly yanked Fran back by the collar, stopping him from crashing into a lamplight. "Watch where you're going!" Fran 'Hn' d and continued walking and texting. The green-haired kid walked on. Bel hung back.

"What's wrong with him?" he muttered to Chrome. She shrugged. He sighed, and stopped walking and turned to talk. They waited for the light to turn green so they could walk across the street.

"Why is Froggy like this? I-" Bel broke off before lunging past her. He grabbed Fran by the collar and jerked him out of the way of an ongoing truck. She gasped.

The both of them tumbled onto the other side of the road. Fran rubbed his neck. "Ow." He mono-toned. The blonde snapped.

"What is wrong with you?" he grabbed the younger one by the shoulders and started shaking him. Fran looked impassive. "You walk home, not even talking to me and just text and nearly get yourself killed!"

Chrome ran over. "Fran! Bel-san!" she was ignored.

"So? I'm not dead." Fran said monotonously.

"It's because of me you're not dead." Bel growled. Fran's phone suddenly beeped, signaling that he had another text. Fran took it out but Bel whipped it out of his hands.

"You are not going to _fucking_ text with whoever the hell it is before you get the idea of how you could've _died._" Fran's eyes widened. He sat there on Bel's stomach, his hands on the blonde's chest. They had gotten into this position since Bel was faster and ran past Fran and pulled Fran onto himself and out of the truck's way.

"Fran, Bel-san, are you ok?" Chrome asked worriedly kneeling next to them, looking for wounds. Suddenly, like lightning, they suddenly realized their position. A faint pink dusted both of their cheeks.

Fran got off of Bel. To keep himself busy, Bel looked at the younger boy's phone. His hand gripped the phone so tightly his knuckles turned white.

The message said: 'Frannie, I didn't know you were acquaintances with Hibari-kun! Anyway, here's his number you asked for. 081-189-6180. –Lussaria

Bel sat on the sidewalk stiffly.

Chrome also crouched there, trying to decide to read the text or to just sit there. "Um…"

"Idiot-senpai, what-" Fran was grabbed and slung over Bel's shoulder. "Oof!" The blonde set off at full speed toward the house, leaving Chrome behind.

"Ah! Wait, Fran, Bel-san!" she called, and tried to run after them. She stopped soon after, panting. "I hate sports…" she decided to walk to the house.

"I hope nothing bad happened."

_*K*H*R*_

Fran was bobbing up and down his senpai's shoulder. "Senpai. Stop it." he mono-toned, his face emotionless.

"No." Bel said simply, still running toward the house. "Not till I get answers."

"Put me down, then I'll answer you." Bel burst through Fran's door, and Mammon was nowhere in sight. Fran mentally cursed. Of all days, she just had to have a job interview when he needed her to pry Bel off.

Bel set Fran down gently once he closed the door. The younger boy shook his head a little to clear his dizziness.

The blonde held up the phone in front of Fran. "Why did you ask for the peasant's phone number?" he said lowly. Fran stared blankly at the screen before understanding.

"Ah! I was going to activate my plan!" Fran said, slapping his right fist into his left palm. Bel furrowed his brow. "Huh?"

Fran grabbed the phone from his idiot-senpai and quickly dialed the number. The blonde was still confused. "What? I-" Fran put a finger to Bel's lips, indicating silence. The blonde blushed a little. "What the-"

{Hello?}

"Ah, you're the head prefect right?" Bel's murderous aura overflowed. He made to snatch the phone out of the younger boy's hands but Fran danced out of the blonde's reach.

{Who are you?} Fran held one of Bel's arm at bay while his left leg was stopping the older boy's left arm. A tic appeared on the said teen's cheek. 'Give it!' he mouthed.

"I'm Chrome's friend. I need a favor." Fran said flatly while fending off Bel's leg.

{…What kind of favor?} the other voice cautiously asked. It was amusing really, that Fran was able to do so many things at once.

"Chrome's going on a date with Master, and I need someone to keep an eye on her." Fran wedged the phone between his neck and shoulder, his two arm's holding Bel's, and a foot in the blonde's face.

{…So what are you implying herbivore?}

Fran smiled. Bel was so shocked, he just sat there dumbly with Fran's foot in his face.

"Can you go and keep an eye on her? But you can't let yourself be seen."

{…Do you take me for an idiot?}

"No, just a sick person." He could imagine the prefect's eyes narrowing.

{I'll bite you to death.}

"No, I meant sick another way. A _one-sided_ sickness." Bel looked confused. 'one-sided sickness?' he mouthed to Fran. The green-haired boy ignored him.

The silence went on for so long Fran thought the prefect fainted.

{How long have you known?} Fran smirked. So his guess was right after all.

"That's not the point. Do you know who's 'Master'?" Fran asked.

{Is it Mukuro?} Fran nodded. The prefect took his silence for a yes. {What time?}

"Go to the fair on Saturday, at about ten." Fran ordered flatly.

{…what if I say no?}

"I think you misunderstood, I wasn't asking, I was-how do you put it? Demanding you to go." Fran mono-toned.

{…Fine. You owe me Green-haired Herbivore.}

"Sure." They both hung up. Bel stared.

"What's wrong idiot-senpai?" Bel just stood there. "Senpai?" he waved a hand in front of the blonde's face. He snapped back.

"What it tarnation was that about?" Yelled Bel. Fran remained impassive. "It's the secret part of a secret plan."

"About wha-"

"I'm home!" Mammon came in with Chrome. "You guys left her alone." Fran apologized and grabbed Chrome's hand. "Ok, Chrome, need to talk to you."

They left the woman and Bel alone. She started unpacking her briefcase. "What's wrong?" she asked when the blonde was unusually quiet.

"…Froggy was texting to the nurse and nearly got himself killed." Mammon nodded, unfazed.

"I take it you saved him. Anything else?"

"The idiot was texting to the gaylord asking for the Prefect peasant's number." Bel growled. Mammon stared, before bursting out laughing.

"Aw! Bel's jealous!" She pinched his cheeks. "Crushing on my little bro? Who would've thought?" she smiled before ruffling his hair.

Bel blushed before saying, "Princes don't like peasants! Especially uncute, annoying frogs!" Mammon rolled her hidden eyes.

"Yeah right."

_*K*H*R*_

Hibari hung up and tossed his phone into the corner. It rolled off the table. Roll woke up.

"Kupii—" he said reproachfully. Hibari picked it up. "Sorry." He wanted to strangle that herbivore, but he also wanted to see Chrome.

He wasn't sure if he wanted to see them together, but he doubted they would do anything but do that herbivorous thing called 'having fun'.

He went upstairs, carrying Roll, Hibird flying behind. He flopped onto the bed.

"Saturday, ten o'clock…. at the funfair…" Hibari murmured before drifting off to sleep. Little did he know that for the first time ever, his instincts were wrong.

_*K*H*R*_

_**1: The mist owl is called 'Mukuro' but since it could be weird if she called Mukuro 'Mukuro' and the mist owl Mukuro even before she met him would be weird. So I did research and it said that the Japanese word for owl is 'Fukuro'. Ignore the pun please.**_

_Hey guys! I'm sorry that I didn't write any other pairings besides B26 and 189669. Well, I'm going to do 27K, but not till another… say, 2 or 3 more chaps? And I wasn't sure if I was gonna do 8059 or 5986. PLEASE PLEASE VOTE! AND REVIEW!_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimers: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn**_

Chrome followed Fran upstairs into her room. Her room had a purple bed with white clouds on it, and the pillows were the opposite. Her walls were covered with pictures of her, Fran, and Mammon, blown up to poster sizes. Fran plopped himself down on her white beanbag with purple clouds.

He threw the phone to Chrome.

"Chrome, call Master. And put it on loudspeaker." He ordered her flatly. She blushed.

"Eh? Why? W-Won't they be able to hear?" Fran pulled himself of the beanbag with a flat groan. He walked over to the door and shoved his jacket to the crack of the door.

"There. Now they won't hear us."

Chrome nodded, dialed Mukuro and put it on loudspeaker. They both waited tensely for him to pick up. Chrome lay down on her bed and grabbed a pillow and hugged it. Fran stayed in his emotionless self.

Mukuro picked up on the fourth ring.

{My cute Chrome! You finally called! Are you going?} was the first thing that Mukuro said when he picked up.

"Uh…" She looked at Fran for help. Miraculously, he had produced a whiteboard from nowhere and had scribbled: 'Yes. Fran gave me permission.'

"U-Um, yes, F-Fran g-g-gave me permi-mission." She said, reading the words off the board. Fran nodded approvingly before wiping the board clean.

{Great! Could you ask my Little One for me about why he's so angry at me?} She started sweating.

"Um…" She turned to look at Fran, who once again held up the board.

"Uh, Sure. And what time should we meet on Saturday?" She dutifully read the words off the board.

{Oh. Hm… I don't know, why don't you set up the time?} She glanced at Fran.

"Um, is ten ok?"

{Kufufu… of course, my cute Chrome." They could hear him smiling through the phone. Fran leaned forward.

"Hello Master." Chrome gasped. Fran shrugged.

{Oya, oya. Could this possibly be the voice of my Little One?}

"Yes Master." Chrome fidgeted.

"Well, I guess I'll leave u two alone then. Fukuro!" She called and held out her arm. The owl flew down to cling on her arm.

{You don't have to leave Chrome.} Mukuro said through the phone. {And who is Fukuro?} He asked.

"Um-"

"Ok, see you Chrome." Fran interrupted. He motioned silently for her to leave, putting a finger to his lips to indicate for silence. She nodded.

"I need to feed Fukuro now Mukuro-san. I'll go now." Fukuro hooted.

{Oya oya, is that an owl?}

"Yes, and I need to go now. Bye Mukuro-san."

CLICK

"Master, keep Chrome safe for me." Fran said once Chrome had gone.

{Oh? Do you not trust me anymore, Little One?} Fran cursed mentally. Of course Mukuro could see through him just as well as before. Fran tried to dodge the question.

"Chrome isn't strong enough to protect herself."

{Don't worry about it. I'm there with her, remember? Kufufu… why do you not trust me anymore, Little One?} Fran bit his lip.

"I have some issues."

{Care to tell me about it?} This Fran could never ever reveal.

"On Saturday, you buy Chrome her tickets." He said abruptly, cutting off his emotions even more.

{Ok Little One.} Mukuro stopped pressing Fran, who was grateful for that. Until he heard Mukuro's next sentence.

{How are you and the blonde idiot? Are you guys together yet? Did you guys make out? I know you want to.} The green-haired teen could imagine Mukuro waggling his eyebrows. Fran gritted his teeth but kept his voice neutral.

"Master, you have gotten incredibly annoying and nosy so I will hang up now." Fran moved to press the end button. "Oh, and by the way, you need to get Chrome quickly. You've got competition." He added.

{Eh? Little One wa-"

And the end button was pressed.

_**K*H*R***_

Chrome was sitting on the couch, waiting for Fran to come down and give her back her phone. She and Fukuro jumped when she heard Fran yelling for her. She ran up the stairs, Fukuro flying behind her.

"Is something wrong?" She said, opening the door. Fran was lying on her bed staring at the ceiling. He did nothing, but motioned for her to come in and sit down.

She closed the door and plopped herself down beside him.

"Fran?" She asked him questioningly. The said teen looked at her, his face blank, but Chrome felt him observing her closely, calculating.

"Fran?" She asked him again.

"What do you think about Master?" He suddenly asked, still watching her.

"Mukuro-san?" He nodded. Chrome thought about it for a moment. "Um, he's nice. He helped me get away from those mean seniors." Fran nodded once more before asking, "What about the head prefect?"

"Who, Cloud Person?"

"Yeah, Cloud person." She didn't have to think. "He's nice and really funny." She giggled. Fran's eyes narrowed a little. "He's got nicknames for everyone and he always threatens to 'bite people to death' when you can't." She giggled again.

"Ok. Let's go downstairs and make idiot-senpai's dinner. He's probably whining and screaming for his sushi now." Chrome noticed a small smile when he said that.

As they started down the stairs she asked, "Fran, do you like Bel-san?" Pink dusted Fran's cheeks.

"No. Why would anyone like an annoying, stupid, idiot-senpai like him?" Fran said monotonously, although the blush on his face gave him away.

"Ok Fran. I was just wondering." Chrome shrugged but continued to walk down the stairs.

With her watching Fran trying to fight his blush the whole way.

_***K*H*R***_

The next day, Bel, Fran, and Chrome walked together to school, all of them discussing last night's CSI. Chrome was about to make a point before she was glomped by a very loud person.

"Chrome-chan!" Chrome inwardly nodded. Of course. Haru.

"Hi Haru-san." The girl let go of Chrome and stepped back. Kyoko came up behind her and they both giggled simultaneously.

"What happened?" Chrome asked, mystified. The girls giggled again before Haru spoke up.

"A little bird told me that you're going with Mukuro to the fair on Saturday." She said, waggling her eyebrows. Chrome was even more confused.

"Birds can't speak."

Haru sweat-dropped. Kyoko kindly explained it to her.

"It's just a saying. When you know something and someone else asks you how did you know, but the person who told you wants to remain anonymous, then you say that a little bird told you." Chrome nodded on reflex, but she still didn't get it entirely.

"Ok." Then they spotted Tsuna and the others. They waved to Tsuna, who waved back and he made his way towards them.

"Haru. Chrome. Bel-san. Fran-san. Kyoko. Good morning." He blushed a little when he said Kyoko's name.

"Dokuro-dono, dost thou hath a good night's sleep?" Basil asked her politely. She nodded. Fuuta tugged on her sleeve. She looked down to see Fuuta beaming up at her.

"Chomre-nee- san! Hi! I'm Fuuta! I like reading and observing people and see how they are! And I also love eating sweets! Basil-nii-san is my best friend!" Fuuta smiled happily while Basil rubbed his head and looked away embarrassedly.

"I also like watching 'The Mentalist' with Basil-nii! We like to guess who the killer is!" He smiled before continuing to babble.

"Um, should he really be watching killer stuff at his age?" Chrome whispered to Basil. Basil shook his head.

"It is not really bloody." He replied softly. Fuuta went on babbling obliviously while Chrome watched him talk to himself.

"Chrome-nee! I also like reading Shakespeare with Basil-nii because he understands it very well. I wanna grow up to be smart and good at sports just like him!" He smiled at Basil, who ruffled his hair and smiled fondly.

Chrome nodded before something struck her. "Fuuta. Did you say Shakespeare?" He nodded happily. Chrome paused, thinking _Isn't Shakespeare extremely hard?_ Basil smiled.

"Thou is much more smarter than thy thinks." The purple-haired girl nodded. Suddenly, they heard a loud 'EHHH?' Coming from Tsuna and the others. The three made their way over to them.

"What's going on?" Chrome asked timidly, seeing them all stare at her.

"HIEEEEE! You're going out with Mukuro?" Tsuna shrieked, pointing at her.

"Seriously? With that bastard?" Gokudera asked disbelievingly.

"Good job!" Yamamoto laughed. Chrome didn't understand.

"Pardon?" she finally said, failing to figure out what it meant. Everyone sweat dropped.

"You're Mukuro's girlfriend now?" Tsuna asked faintly. This Chrome understood very well.

"No. He just asked me to go to the fair with him." The purple-haired girl replied, flapping her hands around and her face red.

"Oh? It sounds like a date to me." Haru waggled her eyebrows again before she and Kyoko burst into laughter.

"What's a date?" She asked. Haru and Kyoko paused. They looked at each other and Haru quickly held her hands up. "You explain." Kyoko pretended to pout and gave her a little shove. "No fair Haru-chan! I explained to her what you said last time. Why do I always have to explain to her about what you say?"

Chrome turned back to Basil and Fuuta, who seemed the most understandable. Basil and Fuuta were talking about Shakespeare and Chrome listened to them debate quietly.

"Thy thinks that Romeo and Juliet art stupid." Basil argued with Fuuta. "Romeo hat gone and killed thyself before thy confirms Juliet's death."

"But Basil-nee, if they both live, then it destroys he whole point of tragic love!" Fuuta protested.

He crossed his arms defiantly and tilted his chin up. Basil shook his head. "Fuuta, thou art not undst-"

He noticed Chrome watching them. "Ah, Dokuro-san! Thou art wisheth to participate?" She shook her head quickly. "I was just watching. I hope that I didn't dis-"

She was tackled by Haru. "Chrome-chan! Can we go to your house early this Saturday? So we can help you dress up?" She looked at the purple-haired girl with huge puppy eyes. Chrome blinked confusedly.

"Ok?" Haru squealed, hugged Chrome, squealed again, then turned to Kyoko, then they both squealed. "She said yes!" Squealed Haru.

"I know!" Kyoko squealed back. Chrome winced. She might need hearing aid. Basil looked mystified. Fuuta stood on his toes and patted Basil's arm.

"It's ok. Girls like talking about clothes, shopping, and boys." The confused boy nodded, although he still looked as if he didn't understand.

"Ok…" Basil said hesitantly. The bell rang and everyone scattered. Chrome ran to her first class, which was home economics.

"Hello Chrome, I'm Oregano. I teach home economics. And today, we shall be making…" everyone waited tensely for the answer.

"Pineapple Casserole!" Chrome sagged. She hated pineapples.

_**K*H*R***_

Chrome walked with Bel, Fran, and a few others to Tsuna's house because the brunette invited them over. Tsuna invited lots of people but only a few were free. Apparently the brunette invited people almost every other day.

The people who were available today were Basil, Fuuta, Bel, Fran, Gokudera, and Chrome. Bel and Fran bickered while Basil and Fuuta argued about one of Shakespeare's works again. Tsuna and Gokudera talked about school and other stuff.

Chrome, with no one to talk to, walked silently with the others to Tsuna's house. Tsuna opened the door and everyone walked in.

"Mom! I'm home! I brought a few friends back!" Tsuna called. A pretty woman with brown hair cut in a bob poked her head out of a room. She waved a spoon around happily.

"Ah, Tsu-kun! Nana's making cake! Oh, hello Gokudera-kun, so nice to see you again." She added, waving the cake mix covered spoon around. She stepped out of the door holding a bowl full of cake mix.

She mixed it while talking airily. "Hi Basil-kun, Fuuta-kun! And you two are Bel-kun and Fran-kun, ne? Oh, I don't see you two very often. And you are?" She said all of this almost as if talking to herself. Chrome bowed politely.

"Chrome Dokuro. Thank you for having me over, Sawada-san." She said quietly. Sawada-san waved the spoon around even more happily, the cake mix on the spoon becoming endangered of falling onto the floor.

"Ahahahaha, Chrome-chan, nice meeting you too! Call me Nana!" She chirped happily. Chrome nodded and thanked Sawada- Nana again for letting her come over. Tsuna led everyone up to his room.

Everyone settled down and Bel played video games with Tsuna, Fran and Gokudera. Basil and Fuuta together curled up in a corner and opened a new book together. This time it was _Macbeth. _Chrome sat down at a table and opened up her book to start on her homework.

Everyone sat in comfortable silence. Well, it wasn't silence, because the beeps from the game and the occasional shouts of delight or anger interrupted the calm. Chrome squeaked in surprise when two little balls barreled into her.

"Gahahahahaha! I-pin shall never beat me!" A green-haired thing climbed up into Chrome's hair and stood on her head. The other ball looked like an egg with something sticking out of it. The egg thing was also wearing clothes. It shook a hand at the green thingy.

"Broccoli monster!" It squeaked at the "Broccoli monster".

Chrome gently picked "Broccoli monster" out of her hair. It started kicking the air, trying to get out of Chrome's grip. It managed to wriggle out and he jumped out and took a toy grenade out of his hair. He lobbed it at her and it hit her forehead.

"Ow!" Tsuna turned at the noise and scrambled over.

"No Lambo!" He yelled, and tackled Lambo. Lambo shrieked. "Dame-Tsuna! Let go!" Gokudera quickly crawled over to help his precious Juudaime.

"Oi, stupid cow, stop annoying Juudaime!" He roared. Lambo immediately stopped squirming and started tearing up. ""To…ler….rate…" He sniffed, and took a huge breath. He stopped tearing up and threw another toy grenade at Gokudera.

"Lambo! I-pin, come here too." Tsuna said sternly. They both walked over to Tsuna. He kindly explained to them: "Ok guys, we have company, so no yelling, fighting, screaming, or swearing. Got it?" He looked at Lambo. Lambo nodded meekly. "Good."

"You've gotten better, Dame-Tsuna."

Tsuna and everyone turned around at the new voice. Tsuna smiled at the newcomer. "Ah, Reborn!" He stood up and introduced everyone to Reborn. "Guys, this is Reborn, he's my home-tutor."

The man was wearing a black suit and a fedora pulled low over his eyes. He had curly sideburns and a chameleon sitting on his shoulder. A woman poked her head over Reborn's shoulder.

"Reborn?" Chrome turned to look at the new voice. A woman with a friendly smile and green hair cut in a bob waved at them over Reborn's shoulder. She had a clover tattooed on her cheek. "Hi!"

Chrome stared.

The green-haired woman made her way over and sat down. "Hi, I'm Luche, Reborn's wife." She smiled. Tsuna said, "Oh, and this is Luche-san. She's staying here with Reborn." Reborn kicked him in the shin.

"She introduced herself already, Dame-Tsuna." Tsuna rolled on the floor. Chrome was confused at this turn of events. Luche smiled at her. "And you are?" Chrome was surprised. She didn't feel intimidated at all by her.

"I'm Chrome Dokuro." She said, introducing herself for a second time a day. Reborn nodded. Luche smiled again. She turned to everyone else.

"Hello Gokudera-kun, Basil-kun, Fuuta-kun. You two are new…. Green hair…. Blank face…. Are you Fran-kun?" She asked Fran. She nodded to herself. "Of course. Tsuna-kun has told me about you. And you, with the crown, with no doubt you must be the infamous Prince the Ripper, Belphegor-Kun!"

Bel laughed. "You're good! Ushishishi." Fran nodded. Luche grinned, looking cheeky. Reborn stood in the doorway, stroking his chameleon. Everyone looked at Luche instead. Reborn was intimidating.

"Gahahahahahaha!" Everyone turned to look at Lambo. He grinned and laughed loudly. "Gahahaha!" He cackled again and launched himself at Reborn. The said man kicked him away.

"Gupya!" He stood up again, trembling. "Must… Toler…rate…. This…" Then he broke down into a heap of tears and boogers. He crawled onto Reborn's shoes. The man twitched, and this time kicked him as hard as he could, sending the cow boy flying into the window.

SPLAT!

Lambo slowly slid down, leaving a messy trail of slime. Everyone looked slightly disgusted.

"Aw, Reborn don't be so mean." Chided Luche, and she stood up and cradled Lambo in her arms. "There, there." Lambo hiccupped twice, and stopped.

I-Pin shook her hand at him. "Lambo! K.O!" Everyone was silent, taking in Reborn and Luche's contrasting personalities.

Tsuna quickly stood up. "Ok, who wants some drinks?" He said hastily. Everyone called out a yes and called out what they wanted.

"The prince wants green tea! Ushishishishi." Bel snickered.

"Coke." Fran mono-toned.

"Ch-Chocolate milk please." Chrome said.

"Coffee please, Tsunayoshi-kun." Luche smiled.

"Grape juice!" Lambo screamed.

"Lambo! Polite!" Scolded I-pin, whacking him on the head. And to Tsuna, "Water. Please."

"Orange Juice please, Tsuna-nii!" Called out Fuuta.

"Thou art want milk please." Basil nodded.

"Espresso." Reborn said, pulling down on the fedora.

"I shall have nothing if it burdens Juudaime!" Gokudera stood up, his eyes tearing up at the thought of burdening his precious Juudaime.

Tsuna smiled weakly and then chanted, "Tea, coke, Chocolate, Coffee, grape, water, OJ, milk, espresso." Reborn nodded approvingly.

"You've gotten better at remembering." Tsuna nodded happily, waved away Gokudera, and went down the stairs.

"It's GREEN tea!" Yelled Bel at Tsuna's retreating back.

"I know!" Tsuna yelled back. Luche beamed at them, happiness radiating from her. When Tsuna came back staggering with drinks, everyone thanked him, Gokudera getting up and helping Tsuna pass around the drinks.

"So, Chrome-chan. I heard that you and Fran-kun are siblings?" Luche said, sipping her coffee. Chrome tilted her head, thinking. "Well, not really. We just live together." Luche nodded, understanding.

"So-" Luche's broke off when she started trembling, coughing and hacking. Chrome was shocked. "Ch-Chrome-chan. Bathroom." She mumbled. Chrome stood up, took the woman by the arm, and led her to the bathroom.

Reborn followed them anxiously.

Once they were in the bathroom, Luche shut the door, leaned against the wall and slid down, her face pale. "Ch-Chrome-chan, w-water. Please." Chrome grabbed a cup and filled it with tap water.

The petite girl watched Luche get out a packet of pills and gulp them down with water. She hovered anxiously over the woman.

"Luche-san? Are you ok? Should I call the doctor? Did you see the doctor yet? What do those pills do? Me and Fran and Mammon know a very good doctor, we could contact him if-" Luche held up a hand to stop Chrome.

"I'm fine. And I'll tell you a little secret, ok Chrome-chan? It'll be our little secret. Not even Reborn knows." She said softly, smiling, although her smile didn't reach her eyes. Chrome was uneasy.

"Why are you telling me?" She asked. The green-haired woman grinned. "It's because you seem trustworthy." She took a deep breath and continued. "I'm dying. The doctors say that I don't have much time left." The purple-haired girl froze.

"Don't tell Reborn this… or he'll freak out and not let me live the remaining months to the fullest." Luche whispered. Chrome nodded dumbly.

Luche stood up and opened the door where Reborn was waiting worriedly. "What happened?" He demanded the moment they got out.

"That's for us girls to know and for you to find out." Luche said, winking at Chrome. Reborn twitched. The woman laughed softly and wrapped her arms around the man. Reborn stiffened before returning the embrace.

"Love you." Luche murmured. Reborn smiled gently, the rare smile gracing his features. "Yeah."

Chrome stood there, chewing her lip, wondering how Reborn was going to take it once he found out his beloved wife was dying.

_**K*H*R***_

Chrome walked home with Fran and Bel again, since Bel absolutely refused to go home unless 'Froggy' would come home with him. Chrome opened the door this time, Bel and Fran a little way back.

"Mammon-san. Bel is here with us again." She said quietly, setting her bag on the floor. Mammon nodded, looking around from her computer. Her head nodded a little to the music from her headphones.

"Bel. Fran. Go upstairs and clean. The mess you guys made yesterday was disturbing." Bel groaned while Fran blushed a little and hit Bel on the head before they both went upstairs. Chrome heard Fran mumble "-your idea, senpai, so you clean." And Bel's signature laugh before they both disappeared.

Chrome shrugged and opened her bag to start her homework. A ding from her phone indicated that she received a text. She ignored it, concentrating on her homework. Then several dings followed. She continued to ignore it.

The dings became more persistent till Mammon turned around and took out her earphones. "Uh, Chrome, I think that it's for you." Chrome took out her phone and stared at the screen.

**Mukuro- Need 2 talk 2 u**

**Mukuro- Chrome? Txt me bck.**

**Haru- Chrome can me &Kyoko b ur hous 8**

**Kyoko- Chrome, can u txt me the time when Haru and I can go?**

**Tsuna- Chrome, 2morro I need to giv u sth.**

**Gokudera- Oi, Judaime needs 2 giv u sth. Txt him bck if u got his txt.**

**Mukuro- Chrome CALL ME**

**Mukuro- DID U GET MY MESSAGE?**

**Kyoko-Chrome, could u plz txt us the time?**

**Haru-Chrome, r u ok? Ur not answering!**

**Yamamoto-ahahaha! Chrome, everyone wants 2 talk 2 u eh? Well, tsuna wants 2 kno if u got his txt and Dera is getting angry dat ur not txtin him bck. So. Txt him bck! XD**

**Unknown Number-Omnivore. Ignore everyone's texts. You have a lot of homework to do. If you don't have your homework done tomorrow I will bite you to death.**

Chrome giggled at the last one, which was obviously from Cloud Person. How did he get her number? She shrugged, but sent everyone the same text: **Im busy ****now. TTYL****.** But she texted Cloud Person a different message: **K. Will finish hw now.**

She set the phone down and continued her homework. Mammon turned around and told her to get Fran and Bel downstairs to start on their homework to. Chrome nodded and went upstairs.

"Fran, Bel-san, I-" She froze when she opened the door. And blinked. And shook her head quickly to clear her thoughts. Her head was full of questions and all she could say was-

"E-Eh?"

_**K*H*R***_

The next morning Chrome woke up early and went downstairs for breakfast. Bel and Fran were downstairs eating. Mammon was making eggs and bacon for her. Chrome rubbed her eyes and sat down.

"Good morning Mammon-san, Bel-san. Hi Fran." She mumbled, still half-asleep. Fran looked at her. "It's Saturday. Why'd you get up early?" He asked bluntly, pouring himself apple juice. He whacked away Bel's arm, who was trying to steal his bacon.

"Today's the day, remember Froggy?" Bel laughed and poked Fran. Fran stared blankly at Chrome before realization hit him. "Oh." Mammon turned. "Today's what day, exactly?" Mammon asked. Chrome stared at her plate.

"She's going out." Fran mono-toned. Mammon sat down, setting down the plate of eggs. Chrome started eating. "Oh, with who?" Mammon asked, turning to look at the purple-haired girl.

"With Master." Fran answered for Chrome. "Oh, remember, Kyoko and loud Haru are coming over in-" He checked his Froggy watch. "20 minutes." Chrome nodded and continued chewing.

Mammon was frozen. "With…Mukuro?" She asked Fran. Fran nodded and stood up to take his plate to the sink, ignoring Bel's whines of "Why are you taking only yours? Take the prince's too!" The older woman was silent, observing Chrome.

The petit girl, feeling the woman's eyes on her, concentrated on her plate.

"I'm done!" Chrome announced after 5 minutes of intense eating. The doorbell rang at that moment. "Coming!" She called. Fran took her plate and the girl ran to the door.

"Ah, hi Kyoko-san! Haru-san!" She said, gesturing for them to come in. They came in, giggling and saying hi to everyone in the room.

They bowed politely to Mammon. "Hi Mammon-san. Thank you for letting us come over." Kyoko said. "I'm Sasagawa Kyoko, and this is Miura Haru." She introduced. Mammon nodded and shooed them away.

"You guys are here to help Chrome right? So go! You don't have much time, am I right?" Mammon said. The girls nodded and disappeared. The woman paused a moment before turning to Fran, who was eating cookies at the table with Bel.

"Ok, you tell me now, what on earth is this about?" She said, slapping her hand against the table. Fran jumped a little. "Well, I don't know much either."

The hooded woman's eyes narrowed under her hood. "You'd better tell me now or you'll never hear the end of it." She threatened. "Plus, I won't let you watch CSI: New York anymore either." She glared.

Fran looked indifferent. "Mammon-nee, there's something called the internet now. So I can still watch it online." Mammon twitched.

The boy turned back to his cookies. Bel sweat-dropped. ""Um, Froggy…" He pointed behind Fran. Fran turned around to see Mammon surrounded by a dark aura. Her eyes glinted. "Oh, you can still watch it online, can you?" She said dangerously.

Fran nodded, emotionless. Mammon smiled. "Oh, good-_for-you._" She said, spitting each word out. She walked out of the room.

"Wow Froggy, I'm surprised you don't have any white hairs after living like this." Bel said. Fran shrugged.

"You get used to it."

_**K*H*R***_

Chrome sat on her bed while Haru and Kyoko nosed around, poking into everything and 'ooh'ed at everything. The petite girl sat there uncomfortably, not sure how to react to this. They stared at the posters and the pictures of Fran, Mammon, and Chrome blown up to bigger sizes.

The two girls stared apprehensively at Fukuro. He ignored them, ruffling his feathers and going back to sleep. "He's nocturnal. All owls are." She said. The girls nodded and went back to snooping. Chrome inwardly sighed. How could they not know that owls were nocturnal?

Haru picked up a picture with Chrome, Mammon, and Fran celebrating Chrome's birthday. Chrome was in the middle, Fran to her right and Mammon to her left. Their faces were glowing due to the candles on Chrome's cake. Chrome was blowing out the candles, her eye tightly shut.

"Aww…." Haru sighed, putting it down. Chrome chewed her lip, wondering what they were going to get her ready for.

"Oh well, come on Haru, let's help Chrome get ready now." Kyoko said as if reading Chrome's mind. Haru nodded, setting down the picture.

Haru dived into Chrome's closet, making a mess. Kyoko took apart her drawers, although not as violently as the dark-haired girl. The purple-haired girl winced. She liked keeping things neat.

"Aha!" Haru laughed triumphantly. "I've got it!" She held up a cute blue dress with white lining at the bottom.

"Me too!" Said Kyoko, emerging from the closet with a black handbag and a red bow on it. In her other hand she had a white cardigan. They threw it at her.

Chrome went inside the bathroom and slipped it on. When she came out they giggled.

"His eyeballs are gonna pop out when they see you!" Haru exploded into giggles, widening her eyes until they resembled saucers.

Chrome hesitated, not sure what to do when Haru started rolling on the ground. Kyoko patted her shoulder comfortingly.

"It's ok." Haru soon stopped, having run out of breath. The purple-haired girl nodded nervously. Haru suddenly sat up.

"Get out of here! You're late!" She shrieked, pointing at Chrome's owl clock. Chrome whipped around and saw that it was five to ten. She grabbed her trusty gun, a few tissues, her cell phone, and her wallet. Fukuro hooted a goodbye when she rushed out of the room.

She ran out of the house, calling a goodbye to Mammon, Bel, and Fran. She thanked Haru and Kyoko. She panted as she sprinted towards the fair.

"I hope I'm not late…" She mumbled.

_***K*H*R***_

"Why is she rushing? I thought she had to get there at ten?" Fran monotoned. Bel laughed, shaking his shaggy hair back. "Ushishishi. Maybe she really wanted to meet him she decided to go early."

Kyoko shoved Haru. "Haru! You shouldn't have changed the clock when she was changing!" Haru smiled mischievously. "I'm pretty sure that he's eager and already there." She smirked, and everyone turned to look at the frog clock on the wall.

It was exactly 9:00.

_***K*H*R***_

She saw Mukuro standing by the entrance of the park. She jogged over, panting. "I-I'm so-sorry, Mukuro-san!" She gasped, trying to regain her breath. God, she really hated sports.

"Huh? Why are you saying sorry?" He asked, confused. She blinked. "Aren't I late?" She said, thinking. She left the house at nine. It takes around 30 minutes to get here, minimum. Mukuro blinked.

"Chrome, its only 9:28." She blinked. Chrome whipped out her phone and stared at the tiny screen. He was right. 9:28.

"Oh."

"Kufufu. Well, at least this means more time with my cute Chrome!" He laughed, swinging an arm around her. She blushed.

"Well, let's go in! It looks fun!" Mukuro said jovially, buying their tickets and leading her in. She laughed aloud at the bright colors and the infectious happiness that spread around.

They went to many booths, playing new games. "Kufufufu. Watch." Mukuro told her at one booth, which was archery. His look was one of intense concentration, and he drew the bow.

With a thud, the arrow landed on the bright red bull's eye. He grinned. She clapped, smiling. "I thought that archery was Gokudera-san's forte." She said.

He shrugged, and they walked over a stand to get some ice-cream. "Oya, oya. What's this?" He said, looking at the stand next to them. Chrome licked her chocolate ice-cream and turned to Mukuro.

"What's what?" She asked. Mukuro smirked, and pulled her over. "M-Mukuro-sa-Eep!" She shut her eyes when she felt him put something on her head.

The purple-haired girl opened her eyes warily. She blinked at her reflection. On her head was a pair of rabbit ears. Mukuro bent down, his face next to hers.

He also had rabbit ears. He chuckled. "Kufufu. What a pair we make." Chrome blushed.

Mukuro then dragged her over to a roller coaster. He paid for it, ignoring Chrome's protests. Then they slid in, pulling the harnesses over their heads. The coaster chugged forward, slowly gaining speed.

Mukuro smirked, looking very pleased with himself. Chrome was confused. They called this exciting? It was just a bunch of loops, twists, and sharp turns high above the ground. This was nothing.

"HIEEEEEE!" Mukuro and Chrome jumped, recognizing the familiar scream. They twisted around as best as they could in the coaster, and turned around to see Tsuna sitting next to Gokudera, screaming his head off while Gokudera looked green.

Both of them sweat-dropped at the pair. Then the heard another voice. "Ahahaha! This is fun!" Chrome squinted, the wind blowing hair onto her face. She saw a tuft of black hair behind Gokudera's seat.

_Yamamoto._ She thought to herself. Then the coaster stopped, and they got off.

"Gokudera-san. Yamamoto-san. Tsuna-san, what are you guys doing here?" She asked them once they got off. Tsuna whipped around.

"Ch-Chrome-chan! What-HIEEEEE!" He screamed again, diving behind Yamamoto, who waved a hello, laughing.

"Ahahaha! Hi Chrome, Mukuro." Chrome waved back, Mukuro nodding. Gokudera pulled out his dynamite, promising to blow up Mukuro if Chrome moved away.

"Umm… I-" Mukuro suddenly spoke. "Oya, oya, Gokudera. I didn't think that you'd want to disturb my date with Chrome." Gokudera paused.

Tsuna popped his head out from his hiding place behind Yamamoto. "Oh, that's right! I didn't think that you guys would come here." He said.

Yamamoto laughed. "Ahahaha! Cool! Hope you guys have fun!" He said, and pulled Gokudera away. Gokudera hissed and spat, writhing in Yamamoto's grip.

"Leggo of me! I'm gonna blow that bastard up! Oi, baseball nut!" His yells faded away and he disappeared along with Tsuna and Yamamoto.

"Kufufu. Let's go get some lunch, Chrome." He said. She nodded, before a shiver crawled up her spine. Mukuro frowned. "Are you ok?" She nodded.

"I just had a bad feeling."

_***K*H*R***_

_**Back at home**_

"Ushishi. I didn't think that Froggy would do this."

"Shut up." Fran whispered, holding the binoculars to his eyes. He was currently in a tree with Bel, stalking Chrome and Mukuro.

"I thought you put the prefect peasant to stalk them already?" Bel asked, tilting his head. Fran nodded.

"I did, but I can't trust him. What if he gets distracted?" He muttered, still staring through the binoculars.

The blonde nodded, and laughed. "Ushi. I like the fact that you didn't deny that we're stalking them." Fran finally put the binoculars down, and turned to the prince.

"What else would this be?" He asked, his face expressionless. The prince chuckled, and put his own binoculars to his eyes. These were the ones that soldiers used in the field.

They stared a little longer before Fran stared hyperventilating, although his face had no feeling.

Bel stared. "Froggy?" Fran pointed at the scene.

"She's scared! Of Mukuro! And he's smirking! He's planning something! We have to get there and help her! Damn, why'd she leave early? I should've bugged her." Fran muttered to himself, but Bel heard.

Suddenly the green-haired boy turned to Bel. "Oi, stupid fake-ass prince, you're good at throwing things right?"

Five knives lodged itself in Fran's back in response.

"The prince isn't fake. And I don't throw things, I throw knives." He sulked. "Princely knives." He added. Fran ignored him.

"Knives can't be princely."

"They can so!" Bel said.

"Can't."

"Can!"

"Whatever."

"Listen to me!"

"I don't care. Attach a bug to one of your knives and throw it at them."

"I won't!"

"You will."

"Won't!"

"Will."

"This is getting stupid!" Bel protested. Fran growled under his breath. "Fine. I'll do it myself, you idiot princely chicken."

He lunged at Bel, and tried to get a knife from him. "Give it."

Bel scrambled backwards, trying to get away from Fran's hands and to save his precious knives.

"Stop! This is an order from the prince. Don't touch my kni-" Bel fell out of the tree, pulling Fran down with him.

Because Bel had fast reflexes, he twisted around and landed nimbly on his feet. However, Fran was a completely different case. He crashed onto the ground.

"Froggy!" He went to Fran, who clutched his head.

Fran blinked once. "Ah." Bel looked him over, frowning with worry. "You ok?" The green-haired boy nodded dumbly, before once again asking for the knife.

"No!" Bel said. "This is mine. Get your own knife." He pouted. Fran sighed, before getting up.

"Well, it's a good thing I can read lips." Said Fran, and he put the binoculars to his eyes. "Ok… He's saying…. I….like... the…smell…of…wet…owls… wait, why is he saying that?"

"He's not saying that. He's said 'Let's go to the haunted house.'" Bel said, who was also looking through his binoculars. The green-haired boy whipped around to look at him.

"How do you know?" Fran demanded, monotonous. Bel grinned his Cheshire cat grin. "Ushishi. 'cause I'm a prince." Fran rolled his eyes.

"Of course." He said sarcastically. "Because you're a prince, you can do anything." Bel nodded, completely missing the sarcasm. "Of course. Glad to see you catching on, Froggy."

Fran glared, before going back to the binoculars. He pulled out his phone. Bel laughed. "Who're you calling now?"

"Hibari." He answered. Bel's aura turned black. "Give it here!" He struggled with the phone.

"Oi, Hibari, what's your status?" Fran asked when the skylark answered.

{The hell? Who's this?} The prefect answered irritably.

"You know who." He replied. "I need an update on Chrome. What's she doing right now?"

{I'll bite you to death Herbivore. I am not stalking her.} Fran frowned a little.

"We had a deal." He monotoned. "I am fully prepared to spread your little secret around, I'm not afraid."

{You-!} Fran interrupted. "I don't care. I'm not like the others. I'm stalking Chrome and Master now too, but I'm too far away to hear. I want to know. I'm her brother."

{…Fine. Now they're debating whether or not to leave now and go to the park because Chrome doesn't want to go into the haunted house with the herbivore.}

"Ok. Where are you? I'm gonna come and get you so we can have a plan of attack." Fran said, ignoring Bel's mouthing.

{I'm at the burger stand.} Fran wrinkled his brows in confusion. "But that's way too far away to hear them."

{…I bugged them.} Fran smirked. "When did you bug them?"

{…None of your business, herbivore.} Fran sighed. This was getting tedious.

"Ok, I'll meet up with you and come up with a plan of attack."

{No.} The green-haired boy was confused. "No?"

{No.} He repeated. {I hate crowding.} Then Fran understood.

"Fine. But don't forget to update me. I'll stop bothering you and call me at 11:50 tonight to update. Got it?"

{…} Fran took that as a yes. "Ok, good luck." They hung up, and he turned to look at Bel, who was tilting his head and rubbing his chin in deep thought. "What?"

"Froggy is very protective of his sister isn't he?" Fran rolled his eyes.

"Wow. You_ just_ noticed huh? Congrats. Want a prize?" Bel nodded seriously.

"Yes." Fran shifted uncomfortably, not sure how to deal with the sudden change in mood.

"Ok… What d'you want? I'm finally happy that the stupid fake-ass prince's idiocy is finally wearing off." Fran tried to inject some normalcy with the usual insult. Bel smiled.

"I want Froggy for myself for one whole day!" He chirped, sounding like a kid.

"I was kidding about the present." Fran said. Bel's face fell. "Oh." Then he brightened.

"But I'll still have you to myself if I kidnap you, right?" Fran blinked. "Ok! It's agreed. I'll kidnap you… hmm…" Bel whipped out his cell phone, apparently checking his calendar.

"O-oi, it's not kidnapping if you tell me when you're going to kidnap me."

_***K*H*R*s**_

Chrome and Mukuro played a few more games and then headed to the park. It was getting dark. Chrome shivered. Stupid cardigan only looked warm.

"Here." Mukuro put his jacket over her shoulders. Chrome felt heat rush to her face. "Th-Thank you, Mukuro-san." She looked up to him. "But aren't you going to be cold?" She asked. He thought about it.

"Good point." He smirked and pulled her over and slung an arm around her shoulder. She now resembled a tomato and staggered a little due to all the blood rushing to her face. Mukuro chuckled.

"Kufufu. So cute." He said. She looked down at her feet, not knowing what to do.

She heard a twig crack, and she turned. There was nothing, but the street lamps cast an eerie glow. Chrome was getting scared.

"It's ok." Mukuro assured her. "I'm here, right?" She nodded, feeling safer already. Then she jumped as she heard a thud. Mukuro's hand rubbed soothing circles on her shoulders, and she relaxed.

"M-Mukuro-san, thank you for taking me out today." The petite girl said, after several minutes of sitting in comfortable silence on the grass under a Sakura tree.

"Don't worry about it. It was fun." He said, and leaned his head on her shoulder. He snuggled on her shoulder, getting comfortable.

She smiled at his childishness. The purple-head girl rested her head against his. They sat in silence again, listening to the crickets chirping. She stared at the moon, trying to remember the last time she had been outside to stare at it.

The last time she did was a disaster. She closed her eyes, trying to will the incident away. Chrome took a breath and sang a song softly, forgetting Mukuro for a moment.

"_**Hitomi wo tojite toikaketemita itsumademo kienai yume no ikisatu**__" _She sang quietly. "_**Kagami ni utsuru maboroshi wa tada shizuka ni kanaderu merodii**_"

Chrome let her voice float out into the still night air, forgetting everything and letting the music overwhelm her. After her voice died away, Mukuro spoke.

"Beautiful."

She jumped, remembering that Mukuro was there. "M-Mukuro-san!" She turned red when she realized that he heard the whole thing. "I-I- I mean, it's-" he smirked.

"What's that song called?" He asked, interrupting her. She breathed in deeply, to stop herself from blushing.

"It's called, '_Setsuna no Kioku', _or '_The Instant Memory'._ My mom taught me." Chrome said softly.

"Wow. Your mom must be amazing. Why don't you live with her?" He asked. Her gaze turned dull.

"She's gone."

Mukuro's eyes widened. "I'm sorry." He said quietly, and put a reassuring arm around her shoulder.

"It's ok, Mukuro-san." She mumbled. She leaned against him. "I should be going back soon." She muttered. The day had gone by so fast.

"Mukuro-san?" She asked when he didn't reply. She turned to him. "Are you ok?" He smiled softly before leaning in.

Her eyes widened when he captured her lips in a soft kiss.

_***K*H*R***_

_** Ahhhh! Finally done! I'm super sorry that this is soooo late! School was sooooooo busy and I couldn't write till I got home (Yeah, I'm at boarding school) and all my friends were being nosy and wanted to read it. but of course, a fanfic is PRIVATE unless read on FFN. Anyhoo, please check out my new two-shot dedicated to WeAreMadland! Oh, and please vote for a new pairing. Should it be Gokudera x Yamamoto, or Gokudera x Haru? Please review and tell me! Thank you!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimers:I do not own KHR.**

Chrome could not believe it. Mukuro-san was kissing her. The great Mukuro-san! She tried to take it in, but it felt surreal.

She had no experience whatsoever, this being her first kiss, but it was nice.

Soft.

Sweet.

Perfect.

Her eyelid drooped down and closed. She kissed him back, even though she had no idea what to do, but she followed her instincts.

Although it felt like an eternity, even though it was probably only a minute, Mukuro reluctantly pulled back. Mukuro grinned boyishly.

"I didn't think you'd respond."

She flushed and retracted her arms (When did they get there?) from their place around his neck. "I-I- I mean, this- i-is m-m-m-my f-first time kiss-kissing someone."

Oh god. Could she stutter anymore? Mukuro didn't seem to notice it. He looked slightly surprised. "Really?"

"R-Really what?"

"I mean, is it really your first kiss?" Mukuro asked, tilting his head. Chrome now resembled a beetroot with all the blood rushing to her face.

"Ah-Um…Y-Yeah." She mumbled. Mukuro blinked stupidly for a moment and smiled softly. "Well, I'm glad to have that honor." And then he placed a kiss on her cheek.

Blood rushed to Chrome's face and she clapped her hands over her face, shielding it from sight. She felt his hands tug at hers.

"What's wrong?" He asked, sounding concerned. She squeezed her eye shut. "Please don't look at my face."

"…Why?" She blushed even more.

"B-Because it's…embarrassing." She buried her face in her hands. He pulled her hands away from her face.

"I think it's quite cute." Mukuro grinned cheekily, and leaned in again for another kiss. "Don't you think?" He murmured, his lips brushing hers.

She didn't reply, because Mukuro's mouth was once again on hers.

_***K*H*R***_

Hibari felt sick.

He followed them around, ignoring his pride yelling for him to stop. Then, for the first time ever, his instincts were wrong.

Because Chrome and the pineapple herbivore did not only do that herbivorous thing called 'having fun' but they kissed.

Hibari stumbled backwards from his hiding spot behind a tree as the two once again pressed their lips together. He swallowed the bile that rose in his throat.

Of course. This was a date. They had to kiss; it was expected by the other herbivores, right? At every date, the couple must kiss. And _damn,_ Hibari was an idiot for forgetting that herbivorous rule.

"…Shit." He mumbled. He couldn't stand seeing them together, so he turned around to leave.

_Chrome's going on a date with Master, and I need someone to keep an eye on her._

The green-haired herbivore's words rang through his head. He didn't trust Mukuro, even though he was his former master. So he had asked Hibari for help. And the prefect was not one to break his word.

So he swallowed his hurt and pride. He gritted his teeth, and forced himself to stay.

But the pain in his chest hurt a hell lot more than his pride.

_***K*H*R***_

Mammon wiped the last dish and set it down. Fran and Bel were upstairs, and now it was quiet. She slumped down on the chair and let her head fall into her hands.

She had lied, for the first time ever, to her baby brother.

Well, technically, it wasn't a lie. She didn't say anything, but she didn't feel good either. Because at today's job interview, she met someone she did not particularly want to meet.

And that was Skull.

The man was rich, sure, but he brought back too many painful memories. She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes under her hood. He needed an accountant, and heck, that job paid a lot more than any other job.

But the point was, she needed to face her past.

And that was not one of the things she was prepared to do, even if she was paid.

Mammon was jolted out of her thoughts when the doorbell rang. She stood up, shaking her head to clear her thoughts. **No more Skull. No more thinking about him. Find another job that'll suit you.** She thought firmly to herself on the way to the door.

"Hello?" She said, opening the door.

And promptly froze.

Because on the other side of the door stood Chrome and Mukuro. Mukuro gripping Chrome's hands tightly, leaning in to kiss her. He was smirking triumphantly.

And Chrome was leaning away, looking scared out of her wits. Mammon looked at Mukuro's leering face for a second longer before she yanked Chrome out of his hands.

"Don't you dare touch my sister with your filthy hands, Mukuro."

Fury bubbled up inside of her. How dare he? First it was her last year, and now it was Chrome?Why couldn't he leave them alone?

"Mukuro, get the hell out of here before I throw you out, you pathetic, insolent, little pineapple bastard." She snarled, anger breaking through her façade. Beneath her hood, her eyes shone like stars, bright and alert.

He looked surprised.

"M-Mammon-san?" The woman growled lowly. "Don't you 'Mammon-san' me."

"Umm…" Chrome tapped her on the shoulder. "I-It's not what it looks like." She said, her face slightly pink. Now it was Mammon's turn to be surprised.

"Huh?" She said stupidly.

Mukuro laughed quietly.

"Kufufu. Mammon-san, I wasn't trying to do anything bad to her. I tried to sneak in a kiss before you opened the door, but Chrome was scared. She wanted to break the news to you first. But then you opened the door first."

Mammon was slipping back into her mask. "Break what news to me?" She said coolly to Chrome. She raised a hidden eyebrow.

The small girl stuttered so badly the older woman could barely understand her. Mukuro came to her rescue.

"She's trying to say that we are dating." Mammon stared. And whipped around at the clapping.

"Nicely done, Master. Never thought you'd have the guts." Fran leaned against the door and crossed his arms, his mask perfectly in place. Bel appeared behind him, his hair a little ruffled.

Mukuro smiled boyishly back. "Kufufu. Little One, and I'd thought I'd never live to see the day you'd be ok with me talking to you."

Fran shrugged.

"Wait." Mammon interrupted. "I hate to interrupt this cozy little meeting, but I need to know." She took a deep breath.

"_What the hell is going on here!"_ She hissed, and the temperature in the room dropped. Only the purple-haired boy seemed to not be bothered by the older woman.

He smiled, and crossed his arms. "Oya, oya. It's ok. We're just dating, not starting a war." Mammon flinched at the words it brought back.

_It's ok. We're just dating, not starting a war._

_Its ok, we're just dating, not going to war._

The older woman swallowed, and tried to ignore the thought. "Ok. But remember, hurt Chrome, and I swear to god I'll shave off that ridiculous pineapple hairstyle of yours." She said, glaring from under her hood.

And with the haughtiest look she could manage, she turned and went upstairs.

_***K*H*R***_

Hibari followed the new couple until they reached Chrome's house. He stood there for a few moments, and inwardly thanked the older woman with the hood to snatch Chrome away from the pineapple herbivore before they kissed.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He was slightly startled by his phone ringing. But he was so upset that he didn't even bother to hear his beloved school anthem for more than three seconds.

"Hello?"

{Huh? Kyoya? You usually pick up on the sixth ring because you listen to the school anthem.} Dino chattered happily. Hibari gritted his teeth to keep himself from yelling at a teacher.

"…Hn." He agreed half-heartedly. Dino immediately stopped, sensing something wrong. Hibari inwardly cursed. Damn this teacher for knowing him so well.

{…Kyoya? You ok?} He asked gently. {You want me to come home early tonight?} the prefect said nothing. Yes, they did share an apartment, but Dino barely came home because he had work. For Dino, coming back to the apartment was a rare thing.

"…Yeah." Hibari muttered, rubbing a hand over his eyes. He had not cried since he was able to walk, and he was as sure as hell that he wasn't going to start now.

{I'm coming back Kyoya.} Dino declared. {Make me a hamburger when I get back.} And he hung up before Hibari could stop him.

He started back, and then turned on his phone to call the Fran herbivore. The phone rang once and the herbivore picked up.

{H-}

"Nothing happened." Hibari cut in, trying to keep his voice calm and collected.

Detached.

Emotionless.

{Really? Did they kiss?} Hibari hesitated, and his honesty kicked in.

"Yes. Under a Sakura tree." He closed his eyes, trying to forget. {Ok. They're together now.}

"I figured it out." The skylark nodded bitterly. {…I'm sorry} The herbivore actually sounded a tiny bit sorry. But the prefect did not care to mention that or to remember that.

"Hn. That's it. You owe me one, herbivore." He said, and hung up.

When Hibari arrived back at his house, he immediately popped a hamburger in the microwave. He took it out and wrapped it for Dino.

"Hibari! Hibari!" Hibird fluttered down and sat in his hair. The prefect sat down and started reading.

All too soon, the door opened. "Kyoya!" Suddenly the prefect was glomped by a very worried Dino.

"Kyoya! Are you ok? What's wrong? I'll make a burger for you!" Dino said, hugging Hibari to the point of suffocation.

The skylark twitched. "I'm not hungry." Dino gasped dramatically.

"Kyoya refusing a burger? Impossible! No, you are going to eat." Dino said, nodding. He turned to get a hamburger out of the fridge.

Hibari sighed tiredly. "…Cavallone herbivore." Dino turned. "Hm?"

"I really don't feel like it. I'm going to bed." He muttered, and went upstairs. The blonde creased his brows worriedly.

"…Kyoya. What happened?" The skylark didn't bother to respond and went upstairs. Dino followed him.

"Was it the person you like? Did something bad happen? Kyoya, who is it?" the geometry teacher fired questions at him relentlessly.

"Cavallone herbivore, I'm just going to sleep. Nothing's wrong. And your burger's on the counter."

He closed the door in Dino's face. Dino frowned. He needed to do something about this Kyoya. Then he smiled.

"Kyoya, you're a carnivore right?" he called through the door. "So?" Hibari replied, the door muffling his voice a little.

"Well, carnivores don't mope, sulk, or give up." He said and turned around to go downstairs. He found his burger, wrapped and still warm. He smiled.

"Kyoya really is a softie at heart, isn't he?"

_***K*H*R***_

Mammon sat down with Chrome at the table. Chrome swallowed nervously. "I-I um…" Mammon held up a hand. "It's ok. I'm fine with it. Just be safe, ok?" She said quietly. Chrome nodded vigorously.

When Chrome sped up the stairs, she was stopped by Fran and Bel. Suddenly the scene she saw them together in Fran's room popped into her mind. She blushed madly.

"Ushishishi. What's wrong?" Bel asked her. She stepped backwards quickly and fell. "I-"

"Ok. Forget last time. It was stupid Bel-senpai's idea, and it meant nothing." Fran interrupted, pink dusting his cheeks. Bel giggled maniacally and ruffled Fran's hair. Chrome thought it looked a little stiff.

"Well, um… Why did you guys do it?" She asked, curiosity taking over. Fran turned pinker.

"I-it was Bel-senpai's idea. I told you." He monotoned, and Chrome watched him struggle to erase the blush.

_+Flashback+_

_"We'd better start cleaning. The mess you made with your knives was disgusting." Fran said as they climbed up the stairs to the guest room. Bel just laughed._

_ "Shan't! 'Cause I'm a prince." He giggled. Fran sighed. "Bel, you mutilated the wall and carved a whole painting into the wall." Fran's eye narrowed a little. "And it was a gruesome picture."_

_ "Ushi. I'll pay for the expenses, but you're gonna cover it up and clean the bed of all the wood chips!" the prince sang. The green-haired teen sighed._

_ "No. It's your mess." Suddenly the blonde straightened up and grinned mischievously._

_ "Ushishishishi. Froggy, remember the game today? You still haven't done your punishment." Bel grinned. Fran creased his eyebrows in confusion before they widened in understanding. Bel grabbed his hand and started pulling._

"_Oi, Idiot-senpai… Let go…" Fran monotoned when Bel dragged Fran into Fran's bedroom. He giggled insanely. "Nope, you lost so." Bel grinned, his smile threatening to break his face. "Change, Froggy. Ushishi." _

_ Fran stared defiantly at Bel. "No. I didn't lose, you rigged the game." He crossed his arms. Bel's aura started to turn threatening._

_ "Ushishi. But Froggy said nothing about cheating." He put his face close to Fran's. They were so close their noses were brushing. "Or do you want me to force you into it?" Fran gulped a little nervously._

_ "F-Fine, stupid idiotic moronic insane fake-ass senpai." Fran muttered, catching the cloth that Bel threw towards him, and disappeared into the bathroom._

_When he appeared again Bel started laughing and rolling on the ground. Fran gritted his teeth. _

"_Shut up." Bel ignored him and continued laughing. "USHISHISHISHI! THIS IS PRICELESS!" _

_Fran was wearing a black buttoned shirt which stopped at his midriff. The black sleeves went up to his elbows, and then the rest of his arm was covered in white cloth with a clover on the ends. He also had really, really small black shorts. He had black laced boots knee-high boots._

_And to go along with all of this, he had a white cape. _

"_Damn you, Bel-senpai." _

_It was Yuni's outfit. Excluding the hat, because it was too big. Bel slowly stopped laughing and lay gasping on the floor, clutching his sides._

"_Ushi…shi..shi…" Bel gasped. Fran twitched. "How did you get it?" He asked the blonde, who was currently trying to stop himself from bursting into laughter again._

"_I…asked… Y-Yuni… to help get an outfit… for you… and she gave me this… and…USHISHISHI, I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT IT FITS!" He burst out, and collapsed into giggles again._

_Then, slowly, Bel stopped. Fran was confused. "Oi, idiot senpai." The green-haired tried to rouse him. "What's wrong?"_

_Suddenly, catching the younger boy by surprise, he stood up, grabbed Fran's water bottle and dumped the contents of it onto Fran._

_Fran gasped at the cold wetness. "S-Senpai!" He was soaking wet. Bel giggled. "Stop giggling and help dry me off!" He grouched. He tugged at the wet shirt that was sticking to him._

"_Oi, Froggy." Fran looked up from wringing the shirt dry and found himself facing Bel, closer than what he would have liked._

"_U-Um, Bel-senpai?" He asked uncertainly, edging backwards. The blonde was on all fours, towering over Fran. He leaned in closer, laughing softly._

"_Ushishi. What does the Froggy peasant think of me?" Fran blinked confusedly. "H-Huh?"_

_Then Bel pressed his lips onto Fran's cheek. Blood rushed to Fran's face, and he couldn't erase the blush._

"_I-Idiot fake-ass moronic fallen prince-!" He stuttered, and crawled as best as he could backwards. But the prince just followed him with a maniac smile on his face._

_This time though, Bel kissed Fran full on the mouth. Fran's eyes went wide, and he struggled to get out of the older boy's embrace. However, the blonde had caged him against the wall. His eyes closed as he felt the older boy's tong-_

"_Mnph! Mnghh." Fran tried again to no avail. Then he heard the door open. __**Shit!**__ He screamed inwardly._

"_Fran, Bel-san, I-" Chrome froze in the doorway. Bel paid no attention and continued to kiss the shit out of Fran. Bel's arms slid down to wrap themselves around Fran's waist. _

"_E-Eh?" Fran squeezed his eyes shut. This could __**not**__ be happening. Finally Bel broke away, leaving Fran red and panting for breath._

_He grabbed a stuffed toy nearby and shoved it in Bel's face. "Bel, you idiot!" He screeched, and, blushing furiously, shoved him unceremoniously out into the hallway. _

_He slammed the door and flopped down onto his bed, burying his face into the pillow. _

"_F-Fran, um… are-" _

"_Forget it." Fran interrupted, his voice muffled by the pillow. "H-Huh?" Fran swallowed before responding again. "I said, forget it." His voice was slipping back into the monotone. __**Good.**__ Thought Fran._

"_O-Ok, I'll go now then… oh, and Mammon-nee wants you downstairs to start on your homework." Said Chrome quietly. Fran nodded into the pillow. _

_As Chrome turned to leave, she turned back. "Um… Fran, why are you cross-dressing?" Fran sat up quickly._

"_!"_

"_Ah, um, you don't need to tell me." Said the girl quickly, raising her hands up in defense, alarmed at Fran's expression._

"_It was Bel-senpai's idea!" Fran burst out. The purple-haired girl cocked her head. "Why did you agree then?" Fran hesitated. _

_Chrome quickly muttered a "You don't need to say it if you don't want to." And opened the door. "See you downstairs, Fran." She called softly over her shoulder._

_Fran groaned as the door closed. He buried his head into his pillow before he realized he was getting the bed wet._

"_Shit." He mumbled, and got off his bed quickly, and took off the sheets to stop the mattress from getting dirty. As he walked past his mirror, he paused._

_With his small structure, shoulder-length green hair, pale complexion, and wearing girl's clothes, he looked exactly like a girl. A soaking wet girl. Which was what probably caused Bel to kiss him, because, damn, Bel was a teen._

_Fran might be in his teens, but his hormones were not working yet. The boy growled at Bel. First Bel humiliated him, then soaked him in water, then stole his first kiss. The boy blushed a little at the memory, then frowned._

_It didn't mean anything._

_Because Bel just wanted to have some fun. Fran shook his head quickly at that queasy feeling in his chest. He stared at his reflection again, and his eyes were sad. _

_Fran cursed angrily, and threw the wet sheets against the mirror._

"_Damn you Bel, for making me all weird and wet."_

_+End of Flashback+_

"It meant nothing, it was Bel's idea." Fran said flatly. Bel giggled behind him. Chrome bit her lip, uncertain.

"It meant nothing." Fran repeated, his eyes suddenly burning with something that looked like hurt.

"We-ell, if you say so." Chrome murmured, still looking at Bel. His smile wasn't the same crazy smile; it looked forced.

Fran turned and went back to his room. Bel lingered outside a moment longer. "B-Bel-san?" Chrome asked cautiously. Bel turned and smiled, looking a little hurt.

"Ushi." Even his laugh sounded flat. "I'll see you later." The girl blinked. "Bel-san. It was Fran's first kiss." The older blonde looked shocked.

"Yes, it's true Bel-san." Said Chrome quietly, reading his expression. Bel stiffened before relaxing into his normal maniac mode. "Ushishi. Thanks, peasant. Anyway, how can you read people like that? It's a little unnerving."

"To survive in my old house, living with my father, you need to be able to read people or you won't survive." Chrome said, her eye dull. Bel looked surprised, but she went back to her room.

She changed and went to bed.

And a certain pineapple head dominated her dreams.

_***K*H*R***_

Bel was sleeping in Fran's room on a futon on a floor. After complaining for ten minutes straight, Fran turned off the lights and Bel lay in his futon.

He thought about the conversation with Chrome earlier.

Bel gritted his teeth when he had heard it.

"_It meant nothing."_

Did he really think that? 'Cause Bel was as sure as hell that it wasn't for him. The prince doesn't kiss any random person, princes kiss people who are important to them.

At that thought, Bel froze. Hell, the Froggy meant nothing to him! He was just a peasant! But wait, that was going against his previous thought.

Hold on, this was getting confusing.

He didn't kiss Fran because he liked him. It was a passing moment of desire. That's it. Hell, he was a growing teen, and in the age where his hormones were supposed to be _raging. _

So. Forget his first thought. Fran was right. It _did_ mean nothing.

Nodding to himself, satisfied that he had finally figured out the answer snuggled down in his futon, and went to sleep.

But he didn't know that it meant a lot more than nothing for Fran.

_***K*H*R***_

"Chrome! Get up!" Fran poked her cheek. Chrome mumbled a little and snuggled back into her covers. "Get up! It's 7:30." At that, Chrome sat up and flew out of the bed.

"Ah! I overslept!" She exclaimed, and began dressing at full-speed. Fran politely turned away; but she didn't care, he was he brother, after all.

She shoved her breakfast in her mouth along with Fran and Bel. Then the three of them raced to school.

As they reached the school they stopped and parted ways with Bel. She tapped Fran on the shoulder.

"Ne, Fran, is Lal Mirch-san here at school today?" She asked. He nodded.

"She needs to coach the sharpshooting team every day after school." He raised a brow. "You trying out?" He monotoned.

She nodded, chewing her lip thoughtfully. He shrugged. "I'll go with you. Bel-senpai's part of the team and you might wanna see him in action. As idiotic as he is, he's actually pretty good."

She nodded again and they both entered the class. Dino greeted them and started class.

"So, who knows the order of operations?" He asked the class. Chrome thought hard, trying to think. Fran remained emotionless.

"Ah, how about you, Miura-san?" Dino asked Haru cheerfully. She stood up confidently, tossing back her ponytail.

"Parentheses, exponents, multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction, in that order. Otherwise known as PEMDAS." She said. Dino nodded approvingly. She sat down and then Chrome felt a tap on her shoulder.

She turned to see Tsuna smiling at her.

"Well, your return text didn't say anything, so can you meet up with me at recess?" He asked quietly. "I have something to give to you." She nodded, wondering what it could be. She jumped at the sound of her name being called.

"Dokuro-san, would you mind solving this problem on the board?" Dino called. She stood up, flustered, and made her way to the board.

On the board was the written equation. She swallowed, and remembered Mammon teaching this to her last year.

She heard Mammon's voice echo in her head.

_Keep calm, and solve it. You can do this; just remember it as Pimply Evans Must Dance At School. And then you'll be able to do it._

On the board was the problem waiting to be solved:

**7 + (6 × 5****2****+ 3) = x**

Chrome gulped, and started solving.

She figured out the answer, and circled it. She stepped back to let Dino-sensei check. He looked at it. And grinned hugely.

"Good job, Dokuro-san! X does equal 160!" Dino congratulated her enthusiastically. She nodded and walked back to her desk. The blonde teacher started passing out worksheets.

"Ok, these sheets are for homework, please complete them and hand them in tomorrow. Do only the even numbers." Dino said, and the bell rang, signaling the end of class.

Tsuna tapped her shoulder and motioned her to follow him. She shouldered her bag and followed him, telling Fran that she'd catch up with him.

Tsuna led her out to the rooftop. They stood there awkwardly for a minute.

"Chrome-chan, I know you're dating Mukuro." He said softly. Blood rushed to her face and she took several steps back.

"I-I- M-Mukuro-san t-t-t-told you?" She squeaked. Tsuna shook his head and talked quickly to pacify the panicking girl.

"No, I just had a feeling." She eyed the boy warily. She needed to look out for his intuition.

"We-ell, if you ever need to talk, then I'd be happy to talk to you." He said softly. He held out a small ball. She looked at it quizzically. He smiled.

"I got it from Reborn. It's a smoke bomb. For quick escapes." He grinned and pressed it into her hand. "Just in case." He said quietly.

She nodded and thanked him. He smiled that smile of his again, and left. She stayed on the rooftop for the rest of recess, breathing in the sweet, fresh air.

"Herbivore." She smiled. "I thought you would be here, Cloud Person." She said softly, not turning around.

"What are you doing here?" She blinked, he sounded hoarse. The purple-haired girl turned to Hibari.

"Cloud Person? Are you ok?" She asked worriedly. He looked as if he didn't get enough sleep. There was an emotion that flashed across his face that looked like… pain?

"Hn." He replied. She observed him for a moment. Yes. She decided. Hibari was in pain.

"Why are you hurt?" She asked. His eyes widened. "W-what?"

"Why are you in pain? What happened?" She asked quietly. He stared at her for a moment before turning away.

"None of your business." He muttered, and turned to go back to his Disciplinary Room. He paused at the tug on his sleeve.

"Wait." She said softly. Her big eye looked up at him. "You can talk to me, you know…" He closed his eyes before tugging his sleeve out of her grip.

He gave a humorless laugh. "But I don't want to." He said, glaring. She took a step back. Her eye was wide.

She nodded quickly and walked past him, muttering an apology.

Chrome closed the door and went downstairs to her next class, but found that she couldn't concentrate.

She had only offered to help! She thought bitterly as she made her way to Byakuran's class. But then, he was probably trying to vent out his hurt on someone else. She reasoned with herself.

"Good morning, class!" Byakuran said cheerfully. "Pop quiz tomorrow! Make sure you're prepared!" He laughed and popped a chocolate covered mint into his mouth.

"How is that a pop quiz then, Byakuran-sensei?" Called out Yamamoto, ever so cheerful. Tsuna's eyes went wide and desperately tried to signal the baseball nut to stop talking. Yamamoto didn't see it.

"I mean, a pop quiz is a surprise quiz, right? But if you tell us, then it's not a surprise, ne? Ahahaha!" Yamamoto grinned.

Byakuran raised an eyebrow.

And smiled. "You're right, Yamamoto-kun. Then… I'm just going to have to make the quiz a surprise then!" He giggled and stuffed a marshmallow into his mouth.

Yamamoto grinned and laughed. Tsuna breathed out in relief; the marshmallow-loving sensei seemed to be in a good mood today.

"Ne, Tsunayoshi-kun, what was that sigh about?" Said Byakuran. Tsuna gulped and forced himself to look at Byakuran in the eye. And his blood ran cold.

Because his intuition told him…That Byakuran wasn't what they thought he was. Byakuran's eyes narrowed, not liking the fear he saw in the brunette's eyes.

"What's wrong, Tsunayoshi-kun?" Tsuna swallowed, and tried to ignore his intuition.

"N-Nothing…" He mumbled and looked down at his desk. Byakuran raised an eyebrow before shrugging.

Gokudera turned to stare at Tsuna, worry creasing his brows. Tsuna stared at his desk, eyes wide. He clutched his pants until his knuckles turned white. He was slowly turning pale.

"Tsunayoshi-kun, I think you'd better go to the nurse." Byakuran said, his eyes watching Tsuna's every move. Tsuna nodded and stood up, not before Byakuran saw the brunette's eyes flick to the teacher and to a poster that Byakuran had put up.

Then he left the room.

Byakuran stared at the door for a second before looking at the poster on the wall. It was a poster of a gang with tattoos and their guns still smoking. Byakuran raised an eyebrow.

He grinned. "That Sawada Tsunayoshi's intuition is one to look out for." He said under his breath.

_***K*H*R***_

"Class is dismissed." Shouichi announced, shutting his book. Everyone started packing up and talked loudly due to the loud dismissal bell. Chrome swallowed nervously.

"Chrome, let's go." Fran said and she nodded. They entered the building and Chrome looked around in awe.

Everyone was practicing their special skills. Tsuna and Basil were fighting each other, their arms a blur. Yamamoto was practicing his swings while Ryohei was sparring with a blonde with a camouflage bandana wrapped around his head.

She assumed he was Collonello. She saw Bel throwing darts at a board, laughing manically. Gokudera had a look of intense concentration on his face, and was shooting arrows at targets. A very pretty lady with inky blue hair and a burn scar on her face turn to them.

"Who're you?" She asked. She was wearing a red shirt with rips and little blue shorts.

Chrome swallowed nervously. "I-I'm Chrome Dokuro. I'd like to try out for this class." She said meekly. She saw Fran give an approving nod. Lal looked her over.

"Hmm. What do you do? What are you good at?" Chrome nibbled her lip.

"Target shooting," She replied quietly. Lal took a step back, surveying Chrome.

"Ok. Shoot all the dummies I set up down. I want to see what you've got." She petite girl swallowed and looked around for a rifle.

"Catch, Kora!" She turned to the voice and caught an air rifle. The blonde man grinned cheekily. "Good luck, kora!" And then he turned back to Ryohei.

She swallowed, and placed the rifle on her shoulder, her cheek against the cold metal of the rifle. She breathed out slowly to calm herself down. She put on goggles and the ear muffs. She felt everyone watching her, but ignored it. _Breathe…_ She told herself firmly. _Relax. You can't shoot if you don't relax._ She mumbled a prayer and held the gun steady.

And fired.

_***K*H*R***_

Lal raised an eyebrow at the small and spindly girl. The girl looked around for a rifle and Collonello threw one to her, ending his sentence with the usual 'Kora!'He sauntered up to her as Dokuro settled herself in the box. "She's got steady hands." He commented, looking at the small girl's form.

She nodded, still observing the girl. Everyone else stopped practicing to watch. The gun went off with a loud _bang _and Lal's eyes widened. Collonello grinned. "Damn, that girl's a lot better than what you expected, ne? Kora." He smiled, crossing his arms.

They watched as Dokuro took down the dummies, making them fall with a thud. She turned to them after shooting six rounds.

"U-Um, should I shoot all of the dummies?" She said, tugging off her earmuffs to listen for the answer.

"No." The girl nodded and pulled off the goggles. The woman walked over to the fallen dummies and inspected them, ignoring all the other students who were watching her.

"Hm." Damn. This girl was _good._ Better than she had hoped. All the dummies were shot at the heart. She spun around, and glared at the girl, hands on her hips.

Dokuro shrank back.

"Meet me here after school with your equipment." She said. She slowly smiled at the purple-haired girl. Dokuro's eyes widened.

Lal crossed her arms and smirked. "Welcome to the class, Chrome Dokuro."

Yamamoto whooped.

Bel laughed.

Basil and Tsuna congratulated her.

Gokudera gave an approving nod.

"Good job TO THE EXTREME!" Yelled Ryohei.

Fran stayed emotionless.

Collonello walked by and clapped Dokuro on the back. "Nice, kora!"

Lal twitched.

"OI, ALL OF YOU, GET BACK TO PRACTICE!"

_***K*H*R***_

Yamamoto, Gokudera, and Tsuna walked back home together, all of them still talking about today's practice.

"Chrome actually got in!" Tsuna said excitedly. "I've never seen her in action, but she was amazing!"

"Ahahaha! That's right! All of them straight at the heart!" Yamamoto laughed. Gokudera nodded grudgingly.

"She deserves to be in this class." He said, accepting the fact. Yamamoto grinned.

"She sure does!" They continued to chatter, but Tsuna smiled only a little, and barely participated.

"Tenth?" Gokudera asked cautiously. "Are you ok?" Tsuna nodded quickly. "Yeah, just fine Gokudera-kun."

"Ah, Tsuna, but you didn't look too well in history today. What happened?" Gokudera felt guilty. He had forgotten about that.

"Yeah, Tenth, what happened?" he asked gently. Tsuna bit his lip. "Well, I just have a bad feeling about Byakuran-sensei."

"How? Like what?" Yamamoto prodded gently. The brunette bit his lip and looked down.

"He-I mean, it's just a stupid phobia." Laughed Tsuna uncomfortably.

The baseball nut frowned. "It's not a stupid phobia if you were ok with him the first moment and the next you're scared to death."

Tsuna chewed his lip thoughtfully, hesitating. Yamamoto and Gokudera waited, not wanting to push their luck.

"He's… He's… not very nice…" Tsuna finished lamely. Gokudera and Yamamoto sweat-dropped. "I mean, I guess… I just have a bad feeling that he's not who we think he is."

Gokudera paused, before asking Tsuna, "What do you mean?" The brunette just shook his head and smiled.

"Don't worry about it."

The two looked concerned, but Tsuna wasn't going to tell them. He wasn't going to tell them what he saw in History class.

He had a vision, and he was worried that his friends might consider him crazy.

"Ne, Tenth, why don't you want to tell us?" Tsuna blinked and realized the Italian was talking to him.

"H-Huh? What are you talking about?" Tsuna tried to shrug it off, laughing uneasily. But he knew he was a terrible liar.

"Tsuna, don't worry, we won't judge you." This time Yamamoto spoke, his brown eyes wide with concern.

The brunette swallowed, and told them his vision.

"I-I saw Byakuran-sensei with some other scary-looking people. They were in this warehouse or something, I don't know, it was really dim." Tsuna began, licking his dry lips.

"He was with Mukuro, and they… They were standing in a circle with the other scary-looking people. They were surrounding this bloody person tired to a chair." Gokudera's eyes went wide.

"You mean that you were walking home and saw this?" The brunette shook his head quickly.

"I was sitting in history, and when I looked up at Byakuran-sensei, I had this headache for a second and I saw this scene. It was gruesome, like watching a scary movie without being able to blink." The boy shuddered, thinking back.

Yamamoto nodded seriously. "Yes, I believe you, Tsuna. You wouldn't joke around with things like this. Besides, your intuition is amazing. You're probably right."

Gokudera agreed with the baseball nut for once. Tsuna agreed hesitantly.

"But wait, we should tell someone about this…" said Yamamoto. Gokudera scoffed.

"And what are we going to tell them? That we had a vision? No one's going to believe us, dumbass."

Yamamoto laughed uneasily. "Ahahaha. You're right. But then, Tsuna, did you catch sight of who was in the chair? We should warn just that person then."

"Well… The person was… Chrome."

Gokudera's eyes went wide.

Yamamoto's grin was wiped off his face.

Tsuna nodded. "Yes, it's Chrome."

"B-But, I thought that Mukuro liked her!" the silver-head Italian protested. "There's no way that the pineapple bastard would hurt her."

Yamamoto agreed, saying that it wasn't possible.

Tsuna bit his lip. "Well, when I saw this, I was shocked. But now that I think about it, I felt that that person _wasn't _Mukuro."

"What do you mean, Tsuna?" asked Yamamoto, tilting his head confusedly.

"I mean, that person looked exactly like Mukuro, but it didn't feel like Mukuro. I got a different vibe." He muttered, looking down and feeling like a psychic.

"Mmm…" said Gokudera thoughtfully. Tsuna thought hard. Yamamoto also hummed and hawed.

"Ah, you know what, we should probably go and tell her. If she's our friend, then she wouldn't laugh at us, ne? But let's not say that it's Mukuro." Yamamoto said, rubbing his chin.

Gokudera stared. "But shouldn't we put her on her guard?"

"Well, Tsuna said it wasn't Mukuro. So I trust him on this one." The tall boy said simply. Gokudera nodded in agreement. Tsuna was very good at judging people. So the three walked back, the mood lightening, already discussing about playing games at Tsuna's house.

Once they entered the house was quiet. Gokudera and Yamamoto looked around curiously, looking for I-pin and Lambo, the two troublemakers.

"They're not home. Mom took them shopping." Tsuna explained. "And Reborn took Luche out for a check-up. Remember the last time you guys were here? That was really weird, and scary, so Reborn immediately demanded the hospital to check her up."

The other two nodded, then set down their bags. They went upstairs to start gaming energetically.

Yamamoto laughed as Gokudera desperately tried to beat the athlete's player.

"Die, you stupid baseball idiot, _die!_" He growled, pushing buttons desperately while Tsuna cheered from the sidelines, already beaten by Yamamoto.

"I shall avenge the Tenth!" He declared, still jerking the controller and staring at the screen.

"Ahahaha! You can try!"

"_Die, you bastard!"_

"Ah, G-Gokudera-kun, I don't think that you should take it this seriously…"

"No, Tenth, I shall avenge you!"

"Ahahaha! Cool!"

Gokudera twitched. _Cool?_ He thought savagely. His ninja moves on the screen were not 'cool'; he had gotten them off a cheat on the internet.

"Ahahahaha! Wow, you're beating me!" Yamamoto grinned, ad pressed the buttons eagerly.

"Ha, beat this, baseball nut!" Gokudera grinned triumphantly, and pressed the final button, causing Yamamoto's player to be blown backwards.

The screen lighted up with the words, "Player One Wins!" Gokudera laughed gleefully, exhilarated at his victory.

"Ha!" Yamamoto smiled. "Good job, Gokudera!" He handed Tsuna the gamer. "Here, your turn to go against Gokudera."

Gokudera quickly set his gamer down and shook his head. "No, I won't go against the Tenth." Tsuna grinned. "Too scared?"

Gokudera took it seriously. "No, I will not go against the Tenth. Baseball nut, you go against the Tenth."

The soft brunette frowned. "Ne, Gokudera, play with us! Don't go away just because I'm playing. It's just a game."

"No, I-" Yamamoto interrupted him.

"Just play with us, ahahaha! Don't be a chicken!" He said, completely misinterpreting what the Italian was trying to say.

Gokudera twitched, and launched himself at him. The two rolled around on the ground before the baseball star's arm caught a wire attached to the TV and the screen went black.

Gokudera scrambled up. "Oi, look at what you did, baseball nut!" Tsuna sweat-dropped.

"Ahahaha! Sorry Tsuna." The baseball star said sheepishly. Tsuna stood up, waving away Yamamoto's apologies.

"It's ok, we'll fix it somehow. Reborn was going to teach me technological stuff anyway." He said, squatting down and peering at the ripped cord.

"I can fix it." Gokudera offered. "I refuse to let any of the Tenth's stuff to be damaged." He declared, and picked up the ripped cord.

"O-Ok…" The brunette said hesitantly.

Ten minutes later, the cord was patched. "Ahaha! Good job, 'Dera!" Yamamoto said cheerily.

The said teen glared at the athlete. He then kneeled down to plug it in.

"When will it turn on?" Yamamoto asked curiously. Gokudera glared and crossed his arms. He gave a defiant toss of his head.

"It'll turn on in a sec. Just wait a moment, will ya?"

"One." Yamamoto counted, and turned to look expectantly at the screen. Gokudera and Tsuna anime-fell.

"It's not turning on." Yamamoto whined, still staring at the screen. Gokudera twitched, and started yelling. Tsuna ran over to pry Gokudera off.

"Gokudera-kun, stop!" He said frantically. For once, the hotheaded Italian did not listen.

"I'm sorry, Tenth, but for once, I must beat the idiot out of him!" He said, struggling with the laughing Yamamoto.

Suddenly Tsuna's phone rang. He picked it up, not looking at the number.

"Hello?"

{Kufufu. Tsunayoshi.}

"HIEEEEEEEE!" Tsuna shrieked, holding the phone away from him, the fighting between Yamamoto and Gokudera ceased immediately.

"How'd he get my phone number?" He yelled again.

{Kufufufu. Tsunayoshi, no need to be so loud.} said Mukuro on the other end of the line, chuckling quietly.

"S-Sorry…" Tsuna said meekly. "So why are you calling?"

{I need you to hide me. Collonello is going to be the death of me.} Mukuro growled, clearly hating this stab at his pride. Tsuna blinked confusedly.

"C-Collonello-sensei?"

{_Yes,_ Collonello.} said the purple-haired teen exasperatedly. {He's trying to get me into the special class thingy because he heard about my skill on with the staff.}

"That's great!" Tsuna piped up.

Tsuna could practically hear Mukuro smirk. {Kufufufu, Tsunayoshi, I have no wish to participate in a cult or whatever.}

"It's not a cult." Tsuna sulked. "But you should, you're good with the staff, so you should join our team." In the background, Gokudera shook his head wildly and gestured madly to tell Tsuna not to let the idiot on our team.

{Kufufu, no thanks. Anyway, won't your silver Italian puppy be upset that you, the great Sawada Tsunayoshi invited a person like me?} said Mukuro mockingly.

Yamamoto had to hold a thrashing Gokudera back from attacking Tsuna's phone.

"Well…"

{Kufufufu.} Tsuna bit his lip, trying to think of a way to get him to join. He felt as if Mukuro should come; not many were given this opportunity.

"Well, Chrome is going to be in it."

{Oya? She's in?} Mukuro asked.

"Yes, she was accepted. You should join, it's really fun!" So Tsuna launched into the details about what the class did. They went bungee jumping, they had a whole course on science where they went to a museum that kept dead bodies in a jar (Gokudera had been strangely fascinated by all of this, taking notes about everything and muttering about UMAs) and much more. By the time Tsuna had finished, he was feeling pumped and happy at the past memories.

{Kufufufu. That actually sounds like a lot of fun.} Mukuro said, sounding excited as well. Tsuna heard him sigh happily. {Kufufu. I guess I will be saying yes to Collonello then. And threaten him to let me in if he changes his mind. So. Thank you, Tsunayoshi, this has been a very enlightening conversation. Bye for now.}

Mukuro hung up. Tsuna grinned, and high-fived Yamamoto. "I convinced him!"

"Awesome, ahahaha! Great job Tsuna, you really convinced him!"

"As expected of the Tenth! I guess Mukuro _does_ kind of deserve it, since he's so good." Gokudera smirked. "But if we're going bungee jumping again, don't be surprised if his cord snaps." He smirked evilly. Yamamoto and Tsuna anime-fell at Gokudera's surprise wickedness.

_***K*H*R***_

_**Back to 3:00 that day**_

Chrome walked out of the building, giddy. She was part of the team! She sighed happily, before remembering that she had to return a library book or risk getting charged.

"Fran, I need to return a library book." She said. Fran nodded. "I'll be waiting for you here with Bel-senpai then." Fran said.

He was currently waiting for the blonde to show up, since that was where the blonde met him every day. Bel was changing back into his school clothes, since his clothes were sweaty after practice. She smiled.

"Don't wait for me. I have a bb gun and a gift from Tsuna-san. Go home with Bel-san." She said, shaking her head. Fran hesitated, and nodded. Chrome went back to the school building, the sun already setting, the red and purple colors already bleeding across the sky. After she returned the book, she walked back into the hallway and saw Hibari. He walked over to her. "Are you going home?" She nodded.

He fidgeted a little, and Chrome knew what he was steering himself to do. "You don't need to apologize." She said before he could utter a blinked. "I know that you weren't feeling well, so you decided to take it out on me. It's ok." She continued.

He nodded slowly. "I'll walk you home, it's dangerous." He muttered.

She blinked in surprise. "U-Um, you don't have to…" He glared.

She agreed with him immediately.

The two of them walked out of the building together, just enjoying each other's company. They were walking through the market and suddenly Chrome stopped walking. Hibari creased his brows in confusion.

"Chrome?"

She was sweating and staring at a man who was sauntering up to them, a smirk plastered on his face. Hibari's eyes widened.

It was the man from his dream.

Chrome took a step back, her eye wide with fear. He reached them, leering and stinking of alcohol.

"Haha. Never thought I'd find you, huh?" He sneered. Hibari glared at him, but was ignored.

He grabbed Chrome roughly on the arm and she whimpered, shrinking back. The skylark quickly intervened, stepping in between and holding a tonfa to the man's neck.

"Discipline in Namimori should not be defiled." Hibari said coldly. "So unhand her, or I'll bite you to death." He growled.

The man did nothing, only leaning in, his face a few centimeters away. The prefect held his ground, trying not to recoil at the man's foul breath.

"Oh? You the fucking police force or something?" He sneered. Hibari stayed calm, the girl behind him trembling badly.

"No, I am the head of the Disciplinary Committee." He said. The man blinked and laughed, letting go of Chrome. She rubbed her arm, wincing. He turned to look at her. She mumbled an "I'm fine." He nodded, and turned back to stare at the man.

"Ha! You little prick; you're nothing but a high school teen. Now, get out of my way." His voice lowered to a threatening growl. Hibari took up a stance. "Oh? It seems like you still want to help her. But if you lay a hand on me, you _will_ regret it." He sneered. Hibari raised an eyebrow. Chrome started hyperventilating, her eye wide.

"You will be doing the wrong thing, if you hit me." He said triumphantly. He stared at Chrome and Hibari whipped around just in time to catch Chrome. She clung to his left arm, her breathing harsh and ragged. He turned to glare at the man. She was clearly scared to death to see that man. Hibari pursed his lips, remembering his dream. He wondered if the man really smashed an alcohol bottle into Chrome's eye, like in his dream. His eyes narrowed dangerously at the thought.

"How is it the wrong thing?" He hissed, his aura turning black. The man was clearly not the brightest bulb, not noticing Hibari's threatening aura.

"Well, she is my property." He grinned. It took all of the skylark's resolve to not bite the idiot to death.

"No._ She. Is. Not." _He snarled, raising his right arm threateningly, the tonfa in it glinting in the sunlight. Chrome was shivering hard in Hibari's arm. She started whimpering, fear evident in her actions.

"Oh, but she is. Until she turns into a legal adult, then she isn't in my care anymore." He said, laughing triumphantly. The skylark's eyes widened, starting to understand.

"Yes." The man hissed viciously, seeing the realization on the boy's face. _"She is my daughter!"_

_***K*H*R***_

_**Yayyyyyy! I finally finished! ANDDDDD I finished this super early! (Well, earlier than normal. XD) Anyhoo, thanks for reading and I hope you review! And CAN SOMEONE PLEASE VOTE WHETHER THEY WANT 8059 OR 5986? (8059= Yamamoto x Gokudera 5986= Gokudera x Haru) becuz I love Yamamoto and I want to write about him but I'm kinda stuck whether or not to get him and 'Dera together or to let him be single for us fangirls to drool over. XDDD anyhoo, pleasepleaseplease review and voteee! I'M BEGGING YOU! Thanks!**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimers: I do not own KHR**

Hibari stared dumbly at the man in front of him. The man grinned, his breath wafting to Hibari. It took all of the skylark's resolve to not smash his tonfa into the idiot's face.

"Ha. Now give her to me. She's _my _daughter, _my_ property, and _my _blood relation. So. _Hand her over._" He sneered. Hibari gritted his teeth as Chrome shrank back and the man's hands that were reaching towards her.

The skylark stepped back, pulling Chrome back. "No, herbivore." The man paused.

"No?" He repeated stupidly. Hibari twitched.

"No. You are clearly scaring her. What have you done to her? Beat her, I suppose? That's defiling discipline, stupid herbivore." He raised a tonfa threateningly.

The man did nothing, but just sneered. "Ha, you think you can scare me away? I don't think so, you piece of shit." Then he blinked. "Oh, I believe that I haven't introduced myself. I'm Kirai Dokuro." He extended a hand limply toward the prefect.

The prefect did not shake the hand, but bowed a little. "Hibari Kyoya."

"Ok then. Now give her to me." His eyes narrowed a little. "_Chrome."_ She swallowed hard, and slowly walked over to her father.

Hibari stared in disbelief. She was white as a sheet. "Th-Thank you, Cloud Person, for ac-accompanying me." She whispered.

Her shitty-ass father grinned, and led her away. Hibari gritted his teeth. But hell, the first thing to do was to inform the green-haired herbivore. He took out his phone and dialed Fran.

{Hello?}

"Herbivore." He said into the phone.

{Oh, hi. What do you want?} the herbivore replied, his voice neutral. The skylark's hands shook as he thought about what had just happened.

"Chrome's so called father appeared and asked her to come with him. She went with the herbivore." He muttered. The silence stretched on for so long the skylark thought that the line had been cut.

{_What?_} The herbivore said loudly. {And you just let them go?} His voice was slipping out of his monotone.

Suddenly Hibari felt bad. He had just let her walk away with some random dude without even checking for his ID.

{I mean, what was his name? Did you check for his ID? Is he stinking of alcohol, with black hair and a huge belly and a creepy stalker aura with a beard and foul-smelling breath and looks like a pug, even though it would be an insult to all pugs around the world, even the ones hit by a car?}

The herbivore said all of this in one breath, and the fear was evident in his voice. Hibari felt a little bad that he had only one answer after the herbivore's long rant.

"Yes." The herbivore was silent, and the prefect could practically feel the other boy's annoyance. "He said his name was Kirai Dokuro."

Fran let out a hiss. {How'd that bastard find her _here, _in all of the places?}

"I don't know." The prefect said. He could nearly hear the other roll his eyes. {Yeah, way to state the obvious, Captain Obvious. We need to get her back before he hurts her really badly.}

Hibari felt a chill creep down his spine. "What do you mean herbivore?"

{He abused Chrome for years, before me and Mammon saved enough money to travel here. We offered her to come with us, and she didn't hesitate. She came with us. She was six at the time.} Hibari nodded, and started walking where the father and daughter had disappeared. {Hey, wait for me.} Hibari stopped.

"Huh?" He said stupidly. The green-haired herbivore became impatient, slipping back into his monotone.

{I said wait for me. Where are you now?} Hibari looked around.

"Namimori Square(1). Why?" Fran scoffed.

{Oh no, I just wanted to know where you are because I'm a creepy stalker. No, you idiot, I'm coming over too.}

"…"

{Jeez, I thought you were smarter, but it turns out that you're not as smart as they say. Do you really have top grades, or is that a rumor you spread to make yourself more approachable to girls?}

Hibari hung up.

_***K*H*R**_

Fran clicked his phone off grimly. "Mammon-nee." Mammon turned and frowned at Fran's grave face.

"What's wrong?"

"Chrome's father found her." Mammon stood up, sending her papers scattering all over the floor.

"What? How'd he find us? I mean, more importantly, how did he find _her?_" She said, starting to panic. "Where is she now?"

"She's with him. He told her to go with him, and she did. She was probably too scared to say no." Fran hissed, his anger breaking through his façade. Mammon hissed.

"I-where are you going?" Mammon said as Fran started towards the door, pulling on his jacket and grabbing his messenger bag.

"To Namimori Square. That's we she last was, and I'm going to track them down and get her back before she gets too hurt." He turned to go but felt a hand grab his sleeve.

"I'm going with you." She said firmly. "I'm not letting my brother and sister go alone to that bastard." Fran blinked.

"Ok." He said simply. She grabbed her keys and coat. "Ok, let's go."

10 MINUTES LATER

They arrived at Namimori Square, seeing a black-haired boy with eagle eyes. Surprisingly, a certain pineapple head was there and arguing with the boy.

"Master, how'd you hear?" Fran monotoned. Mukuro whipped around, a glint in his eyes.

"Kyoya here called me to tell me that Chrome was in danger. I was prepared to go immediately, but I was supposed to wait for you guys." He glared at Fran and Mammon, who stood there, emotionless.

"Well, we can stop arguing like babies and get on." Mammon cut in, cool as ever. "Because if you didn't know Mukuro, this is my _sister_ we're talking about, so if she has even a scratch on her, I'm blaming it on you for holding us up with your arguing."

She gave him an icy cold glare, before glaring at eagle-eye boy, who nodded in the direction where Chrome went. She stalked off, fuming that Mukuro was there. He had the nerve to show up and pretend he was concerned? She growled under her breath, walking into a sad little neighborhood with dry front yards and shitty buildings. And after what Mukuro did to her last year? **I don't think so, you little snot-nosed pineapple brat.** She snarled in her mind.

She whirled around at a tap on her shoulder. It was Fran.

"Mammon-nee, that was great, but wait for us, will you?" She nodded. Her little brother looked around. "Seems you're good at this, I think you've led us to the right neighborhood." Fran said, looking around as the eagle-eye dude and Mukuro came up, still arguing.

Eagle-eye boy was raising a- what was that? - A tonfa threateningly at Mukuro's face. **Yes.** Mammon thought savagely. **Beat him up into a messy pile of-**

Fran knocked loudly on a house's door, interrupting her thoughts. A frail old woman answered.

"Why hello, little girl, what are you here for?" She croaked, smiling. A tic appeared on Fran.

Mammon quickly intervened. "We're looking for our sister. Have you seen a girl with an eye-patch, purple-hair, and walking with a big-bellied, stinking of alcohol, piece of-"

"We're looking for a small girl with short purple hair wearing a Namimori school uniform." said eagle-eye boy, interrupting her rant smoothly. "Do you know Namimori middle school?"

The old lady nodded. But the next thing she said was disastrous. "Yes, it's the school full of delinquents, isn't it?"

Eagle-eye boy twitched. Apparently he loved his school.

"Yes," The old lady continued, not noticing his black aura. "I heard that the head prefect beats kids up for breaking rules. That man needs to be reported to the police, or even better, the mental hospital." She said, nodding seriously.

The black-haired boy was trembling with the effort to restrain himself.

"Oh, um, thank you very much." Said Mammon quickly, and the old lady nodded graciously and shut the door.

Mukuro pulled eagle-eye boy away, chuckling quietly. "Kufufu. Kyoya, you're too childish."

Kyoya glared at Mukuro. Mammon quickly intervened. "Shut up, you two, I need to find my sister before she gets hurt."

Then she turned to eagle-eye boy, and bowed a little. "I'm Mammon Nebbia (2). Her sister." She said simply, and walked onto the next house and began knocking.

"Hibari Kyoya." He replied.

"Good to know," She said, as the door opened. "'Cause I sure as hell would hate to call you Kyoya or eagle-eye boy."

He twitched.

_***K*H*R***_

Chrome set her school bag quietly down on the floor of her father's house. She swallowed nervously. She hadn't seen her father in nine years.

"Well, good to see you again, _my dear, sweet, daughter._" He said sweetly. But that didn't fool her. Her guard was up; she could feel the murderous aura radiating off of him.

"Aren't you going to say hi to your daddy after nine years of not seeing each other?" He sneered. She swallowed.

"H-hello, D-" He slapped her, hard. He head whipped to the side with his force, and she fell on the ground from the sheer force he had exerted on her. Her hand went up to her left cheek. She looked up at him, her eyes watering. Her lip was bleeding.

He kicked her in the stomach, and she curled into a ball and cried out in pain. "You left me, ruining my pride." He snarled. He kicked her again, and she was flipped onto her back from the power. He stomped on her stomach. She tried to scream, but coughed out blood.

"Does it hurt?" She didn't answer, trying to regain her breath and ignore the pain. He gripped her hair tightly and pulled her up. He hands went up to relive the pull, since she didn't have the strength the stand up by herself.

"I said, _does it hurt?_" He hissed. She swallowed, trying to answer. Tears slid down her cheeks.

"Answer me!" He commanded, pulling on her head even harder. She gasped in pain.

"Ye... yes…" She gasped, tears running down her cheeks freely. He smirked.

And smashed her head onto the floor.

She shrieked in pain as her head collided with the floor. "S-Stop!" He grinned, and slammed her head down again.

"I-I-It hurts!" She was sobbing now, at the pain exploding in her head, stars erupting in her sight.

He let go. "Stand!" He ordered her, enjoying her pain. She lay on the floor in a heap. He nudged her with his foot. "Stand!"

She slowly pushed herself up, her arms trembling with the strain. She pulled herself up bit by bit, unsteadily. Suddenly, when she saw his hand reach out, she reacted instinctively, her body practically screaming, 'I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!" He hand whipped back and found a jar.

With adrenaline pumping through her veins, she found strength to hurl the vase at her father. The vase smashed into tiny little pieces as it came into contact on her father's head. He stepped backwards, a little blood trickling down.

"You little _bitch!" _he roared, and launched himself at her. He punched her slapped check, and she fell backwards, her head hitting the table leg. She passed out. Chrome woke up later, sore and bleeding. She was in a bedroom that she supposed was hers. Chrome groaned a little as she moved to get off her bed. She stared at the clock.

7:15 AM. She gasped and flew out of bed.

Or tried to, at least.

She immediately crumpled to the ground, whimpering in pain. She clutched her stomach and head. Her vision was blurry and she had a headache. **No!** She shrieked in her head. **I need to get to school. **She tried to stand again, but fell.

"Guhhh…" She groaned. Everything was screaming in pain. She shakily stood up, but collapsed again, dizziness overwhelming her. She reached out a shaky hand to the doorknob, but just as she fingered it, the door burst open.

The door smashed into her forehead and knocked her backwards. She screamed in pain. Her father looked down cruelly, evil glittering in his eyes.

"Huh. Pathetic." He muttered, staring at her crumpled form. And for once, he was not drunk. She raised a trembling hand to her forehead, where it was bleeding. The blood trickled down her face in little streams. She flinched when he suddenly crouched down, making his face level with hers.

"Oh, well, you know what?" He leered, his breath reeking of… sourness. She tried not to scrunch up her nose. Besides, it would probably hurt her face or earn her a beating.

"W-What?" She stuttered, scared. She eyed him apprehensively. He grinned, scratching his unshaven stubble.

"I'm not going to beat you anymore."

She blinked, immediately sensing that there was something worse coming. "W-Why?" She asked cautiously, pushing her luck.

"Well, you see, I haven't been able to get any money, and if I do, it's always wasted on you." He explained, rubbing his stomach and letting out a burp.

"Well, you don't work, and you drink more than your money can supply." Chrome said before she could stop herself. He growled.

"You little-" His hand swung up and she closed her eyes. But the blow never came.

"No. I'm not allowed to hit you." He said calmly, putting his hand down.

She blinked, and wondered if her father was finally going to turn back into the father she'd loved before her mom had died.

Stop the abuse and alcohol. Maybe lose some weight along with it. However, her hopes were dashed.

"It's because you're going to bring me money." He grinned, leaning in. "You want to know why?" He dropped his voice to a menacing whisper.

"W-Why?" Chrome asked, afraid to not answer. Her heart dropped at the answer.

"_It's because I'm selling your body_." He smirked triumphantly at the terror on her face.

"And I've already got a customer. He's going to come today, in a few minutes, probably. Don't know why he'd want to, since you're an ugly little bitch."

She trembled, and scrambled backwards.

"Oh well," He continued. "He said that he liked breaking small, delicate girls." At that moment, the doorbell rang, along with a call from a man.

"Oi, Dokuro, where's my package?" Kirai grinned, and grabbed her arm. She screamed, and tried to pull back, but the pounding in her head increased.

"Come on in, Glo." Kirai called back. There was a sound of a door opening downstairs. Her eyes widened.

It was the high-school kid who looked as if he was forty. The one who beat her up.

_The one who had just bought her body._

"NO!" She said desperately, trying to free herself from his grip. Chrome dug her heels into the ground and pulled back.

She wriggled around, ignoring the throbbing in her head which caused her to stumble a bit. Her whole body was in pain, but she ignored it, trying to get free.

She finally pulled herself free and fell backwards. She quickly scrambled around and tried to crawl away. A hand closed around her ankle and dragged her back. Chrome shrieked as arms went around her waist and hoisted her up. She pounded on those arms, sobbing.

"Hahahaha. So feisty, like the first time we met, hmm?" Glo smirked, hugging his arms tighter around her waist.

"So, where's my money?" Her father demanded. Glo nudged a small bag across with his foot.

"That should contain about 10,000$(3)." The man said smoothly. Chrome was crying, still pounding uselessly on Glo's arms. Then a wave of nausea hit. The pain from yesterday's beating was coming back. She struggled feebly as the pain hit.

"No…" She moaned uselessly, pulling weakly at Glo's arms.

"Don't worry, Chrome," Smirked Glo, placing a small kiss on her neck. She stiffened. "I'll take good care of you." The senior crooned as his arms tightened around her waist.

She shuddered as the man licked her neck slowly. "S-Stop!" She screeched with a final burst of strength and thrust her head backwards into Glo's face.

Stars burst in front of her eyes as Glo let go of her, howling. He stumbled backwards as Chrome tried to get up.

Her father smirked, and left the room, already content with his 10,000$. She crawled a little before the nausea hit again, and she caved in. Glo picked her up again, his glasses a little lopsided. She squeezed her eyes shut, gripping his arms tightly as she tried to pull them off. He chuckled against her neck. "Don't worry, I-"

The doorbell rang again. Kirai appeared. "Who the hell? News traveling this fast?" He chuckled.

"Oh well, means more money for me."

He sauntered over to the door and opened it while Glo continued to whisper things into her ears. She cried; the headache and pain getting worse.

The door opened to reveal Mammon and Fran standing in the doorway.

"Excuse… _You." _Snarled Mammon at Kirai, recognizing his face. "You bastard!" She yelled, and swung a fist into his jaw.

Glo gulped. "Well, time to go." He murmured against her neck and placing another chaste kiss and running to the back door.

She didn't even have the strength to reply.

_***K*H*R***_

Mammon snarled at the face in the doorway. "Kirai, you bastard!" She kicked him in the groin. "Where's my sister, you fucking abusive alcoholic?" She hissed, pulling him up by the collar. Fran stopped her before she could do more damage.

"Mammon-nee! Pervy man taking Chrome away at twelve o' clock!" He yelled, pointing behind Kirai. Hibari made to push forward, but Mukuro beat him to it. He rushed forward and slammed a staff onto the man's back. The man squawked, and fell. He kicked him away from Chrome and gently pulled her up.

Mukuro kneeled down, cradling her gently. Hibari ran forward, and raised a tonfa. "Defiling discipline at Namimori is _unacceptable._" He hissed at the man. He swung a tonfa into Glo's face. "First, you're skipping school, secondly-" He kicked the man viciously. "You're harassing this girl, third-" He kneed the man in the stomach. "You're already broken two rules! Do I need a third reason, herbivore?"

Mammon blinked. So that was Glo. Glo stood up, laughing weakly. "Ex-Excuse me? I had a right to this girl."

Hibari growled, and raised a tonfa for another blow before Mukuro abruptly stood up.

"Kufufu." He chuckled, his red eye glinting. "A _right?_" He questioned, smirking. He raised his staff. "You will regret this."

He took out a trident and attached it to the top of the staff. Mammon's hidden eyes widened. The deadly weapon glinted deadly in the sunlight. Fran ignored them, and went to get Chrome. Mammon followed. Chrome was lying on the floor, tears still visible on her cheeks. Mukuro charged, and swung his trident down, the tip slashing at Glo's flesh. The man howled, holding his bleeding torso. Mukuro laughed.

"Kufufufu. I made sure to not cut so deep to kill you." His eyes sparkled evilly. "I still want to torture you."

Glo stood up, and held up a gun. "D-Don't move, or I will kill you!" He said, thumbing back the safety.

Mukuro blinked, before laughing maniacally. "KUHAHAHAHA! You really think that it'll stop me?" his voice dropped to a menacing whisper. He raised the trident. "I'll just kill you for the sake of my mind. God knows how stupid I'll be if I continue talking to you." He lunged, and the gun went off. Mammon flinched.

"Gak!" Glo stumbled backwards as he clutched his hand. There was a small electrical bullet in it. Mammon whipped her head back to see Chrome propped up weakly, holding a Taser gun.

Her eyes were dull. The woman doubted that she was even half-conscious. "No." She said in a dead monotone. "You're dead to me." She said, and clicked the Taser gun again. Mammon shut her eyes as the Taser went off.

_***K*H*R***_

Hibari's eyes went wide as Chrome shot a Taser gun at Glo's forehead. The small electrical bullet hit his forehead, sending eight hundred thousand volts screaming into Glo's body. Glo crumpled, foam coming out of his mouth as he had a seizure. Mammon ran over to listen for a pulse.

"_Shit._" She muttered, and began pumping his chest. Chrome dropped the Taser and fainted.

Kirai stepped forward. "Ahem, this is assault." His eyes glittered. "I'll have you in jail."

"Shut up!" screeched Fran, breaking free of his façade. "You shut up, old man, before I go over there and beat the shit out of you!"

Hibari stared.

Fran had red splashed across his face, probably from anger. "You shut up, you jackass, before I go over there and button your lip." He hissed, his green eyes burning.

Kirai shut up.

Fran turned back to Chrome. Mammon continued pumping Glo's fallen body, before she turned to Hibari. "Oi, Hibari, do something!" She yelled. Then she paused, and listened to the boy's chest. "Good, he's back, but call the paramedics!" The prefect nodded, and pulled out his phone. Mukuro stood there, dark aura still overflowing. His gloved hand came over Hibari's phone.

"Don't call them. Let him die." He hissed, glaring challengingly at Hibari. He stared defiantly back.

"No." Hibari said calmly. "He does not deserve to die, that is defiling discipline." He stared straight into the other's mismatched eyes.

"Chrome would not want us to be in jail just for killing a worthless herbivore." Mukuro blinked, before nodding respectively to Hibari and letting go of the phone. Hibari dialed, and pressed call. His eyes widened at the person who answered.

{Hellooooo, honeybun, who needs helpppp?} Chirped a voice from the other side. Mammon stopped pumping as Glo moaned.

"Lussaria." Hibari said. "We need help."

_***K*H*R***_

Mukuro stood outside, looking through the glass where Chrome was lying peacefully. Lussaria came and stood beside him.

"Poor Chrome-chan." murmured the school nurse. "She's badly hurt, isn't she?" Mukuro bit back the 'no shit' that wanted to come.

"Hn." Mukuro acknowledged, still looking. Little one and his fearful sister were inside with Chrome. "When did you start working for the paramedics?"

Luss shrugged. "I wanted to help more people." Mukuro nodded, and hesitated. "You can go in." the rainbow nurse said, looking sympathetic. Mukuro nodded, and went in.

"Hi Master." Fran monotoned, and gripped Chrome's hand. Mammon said nothing. Mukuro could imagine her hidden eyes narrowing.

"How is she?" He asked softly. Fran's eyes burned with anger. "That bastard beat her pretty badly. Big bruises all over, especially on her stomach." His eyes narrowed. "In the shape of a shoe."

Mukuro hissed, and looked at Chrome sleeping. Her eyebrows were creased, giving her a troubled expression. Her eye patch was removed and replaced with a bandage.

"Where is he?" He snarled, his hands already gripping his staff. Fran's eyes turned dull, and he turned back to staring at Chrome.

"He flew the coop."

Mukuro turned to see Mammon. "Ran away, that piece of shit. Should've shoved a stick up his-"

"Mammon-nee." Fran said warningly. Mammon gritted her teeth. Then the next thing that she did was the most surprising. She grabbed him by the collar and shoved him up against a wall.

"You bastard, how the hell do you still have the guts to show your face?" She hissed, gripping his collar tighter.

"H-Huh?" Mukuro said confusedly. "Oya oya, I think you have the wrong person." Mammon gritted her teeth.

"Don't you dare lie to me." She growled. "How dare you?" Mukuro blinked.

"What are you talking about?" She drew back her hand and slapped him. Mukuro snapped. He ducked his head under her hand and using that momentum brushed her hand aside, causing her to lose grip. Then he shoved her against the wall. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Don't give me that shit." She hissed back, her anger nearly overwhelming. He stepped back. "You were the one who lied, then beat me up, then you tried to _rape _me! Good thing I had a Taser and Tasered your ass off." She snarled.

He cocked his head, confused. "I never did that." She shrieked in fury, and leaped at him. She tore open his shirt.

"Then why don't you explain the Taser scar on your neck, y-" She stopped abruptly as she stared at Mukuro's neck.

Pale.

Smooth.

_With no scar._

"I-I- how is that possible?" She whispered, steeping back. Fran stood up, openmouthed.

"M-Mammon-nee?" He said in disbelief. "How-" Mukuro buttoned up his shirt calmly.

"Happy?" He said icily. She took a step back.

"B-But, my attacker had the same pineapple-hairstyle, same mismatched eyes, same features. How is it not you?"

Mukuro paused, before his expression darkened. "Wait, was it dark when you were attacked?" He said, curious.

She nodded defiantly. "It was dark, but not pitch-black." He hissed. "Did you look at his eyes?" He said, stepping closer.

"No… I was too busy looking for a way to escape." Mammon replied, sounding confused. He growled.

"Then you don't know that it's me! My pupil in my left eye is a horizontal line, like the Japanese number one!" He shouted. "Nobody has a right eye like me!"

"There are only people with similar pupils, but that's my older brother, and his pupil is in the shape of a clover! And he's in Italy, in jail!" He yelled.

Fran stood up. "Master, you're bothering Chrome." Mukuro stopped immediately. The pineapple took a deep breath, and calmed himself.

"Kufufufu. Sorry for losing my cool there." He said, casting a sideway glance at Chrome's sleeping body. Then a question popped into his mind. "Wait, where did Chrome get a Taser? You know, in that house."

Fran raised his hand. "She must've pickpocketed me, I brought a Taser along, but the next thing I knew, it was in her hand."

Mukuro nodded. "What about that Glo dude?" Mammon asked. Lussaria suddenly came in.

"We-elll, honeybun is perfectly stable, aside from being very scared of his poor little shadow." Crooned Luss. "Might be a little odd from now on, but aside from that honeybunches is good to go!" All three of them glared.

"I don't care about him." They said together. The rainbow nurse sweat-dropped.

"O-Ok, don't get your panties in a bunch." Luss pouted. Then he held up his hands defensively as the three advanced towards him. Mukuro pointed his trident threateningly at him, Mammon was with a Taser, and Fran had a knife. All of them turned at the sound of a cough. Chrome opened her eyes blearily. "F-Fran? Mammon-nee? Mukuro-san?" She mumbled.

Their eyes widened.

"Chrome!"

_***K*H*R***_

Hibari yawned, and closed his eyes. All was well, Chrome was better, and training with Lal-sensei. Mukuro had joined the team too. That was good; at least there was someone to look after her, even though it wasn't him. He gritted his teeth. It hurt. His arch-enemy with the girl he liked. It burned. He shut his eyes, and tried to drift off to sleep.

"Hibari! Hibari!" chirped Hibird. The door opened. He sprung up, growling at the herbivore who had dared to invade his territory.

"Hey, Cloud Person."

His eyes widened a little. He nodded to show her that it was ok for her to be here. She walked over and sat down next to him. "What about practice?" He asked. She shrugged.

"It ended early; Lal-sensei and Collonello-sensei had to leave early."

He nodded. They sat in silence, watching the sun slowly set. He smiled sadly to himself. If only this was real. "Ne, Cloud Person? I'm sorry." He blinked, before turning to look at her.

"For what, herbivore?" She twiddled her fingers. "For going with my dad. If I didn't, none of this would've happened."

He scoffed. "Stupid herbivore, it was our choice to follow." She bit her lip. He sighed. "It's not your fault that you were scared. That idiot herbivore with the beatings and the breath would've made any herbivore scared." He said, and stood up, brushing his pants off.

She smiled a little, and stood up. "Thanks, Cloud Person." He gave a little nod, his heart somersaulting. They went downstairs, and bumped into Aria-sensei. She smiled at them.

"Ah, Kyoya-kun and Chrome-chan. Just the two people I need. Would you guys mind babysitting Yuni for me tonight? I'll get back at ten."

Chrome and Hibari opened their mouths to object, but Aria was already walking away. "Thank you, I promise I won't be back too late!" She called over her shoulder. Hibari fumed silently while Chrome took out her phone to notify the green-haired herbivore.

"U-Um, Fran, Aria-sensei told us to baby-sit Yuni tonight, so I'll be back home late." She said. Hibari closed his eyes. Thank god it was a Friday.

"Hubuh? Whubat dubo yubu mubean?" She said, sounding surprised. Hibari blinked. What?

"Nubo. Cluboud Pubersubon ubis wubith mube." Chrome replied to whatever was being said on the phone. The skylark stared. Good lord, was this girl speaking gibberish _fluently?_

"Ubi ubunduberstuband. Ubi'll bube buback bubefubore tuben. Thubanks Fubran, bubye." She concluded, and clicked off her phone.

"What the heck was that, herbivore?" She blinked. "Was that gibberish?"

"Oh, Cloud Person, sorry, it kinda slipped. Fran, Mammon-nee and I speak fluent Ubby-Dubby (4), so when he started speaking, I replied back in Ubby-Dubby."

"Are you serious, herbivore?" Hibari asked, incredulous that there was a language that sounded that stupid and funny at the same time.

She nodded. "Ok, do you know the way to Aria-sensei's house?" He nodded, dumbfounded. She gestured with her hand.

"Please lead the way." She said, after the prefect did not move. He nodded dumbly, and set off towards his bike.

_***K*H*R***_

Fran was walking back with Bel, since Chrome said she needed to talk with someone important. His phone suddenly rang.

"Hello, Fran's here." He monotoned. He heard Chrome's quiet voice on the other end.

{U-Um, Fran, Aria-sensei told us to baby-sit Yuni tonight, so I'll be back home late.} He frowned. He turned to see Bel-senpai staring at him, so he decided to talk in Ubby-Dubby.

"Ubare yubu guboubing ubalubone?" He asked. Bel stared.

{ Hubuh? Wubbat dubboo yubu mubeen?} He sighed.

"Ubi'm jubust wuborrubied thubat yubu wubill gubet ubatubacked ubagubain. Yubu subeem tuboo bubbee vuberuby ubaccubidubent prubone. Ubare yubu ubaublone rubight nubow?" He asked, a little worried. Bel openly gawked at him.

{Nubo. Cluboud Pubersubon ubis wubith mube.} She replied. Fran nodded.

"Mubake subure thubat yubu cubome buback bubefubore tuben, gubot thubat?" He said sternly.

{Ubi ubunduberstuband. Ubi'll bube buback bubefubore tuben. Thubanks Fubran, bubye.} She answered, and hung up.

"What… the hell?" Said Bel dumbly. "I didn't understand a word of it at all. That was an un-princely language."

"Whatever, Bel-senpai. Since you're a moron, you wouldn't be able to understand it anyway." Fran replied, putting his phone in his bag.

"Ushishishi. Froggy speaking gibberish sounds funny." Fran glared. Or stared, since he had no emotion in his eyes.

"It's not gibberish, it's an actual language." He said, before walking on. "It's called Ubby-Dubby." Bel laughed.

"Ushishishi. As expected of Froggy to make something so stupid sound so serious." Fran shrugged. "We all speak it fluently."

"USHISHISHI!" The blonde laughed, clutching his sides. "I can imagine that!" He gasped, laughing. An image popped into his head, a picture of the Nebbia siblings, all mumbling in gibberish and talking to their shoes. The green-haired teen shrugged again, before walking away. "Oi, Froggy, what about your sister peasant?"

"She needs to babysit Yuni." Bel grinned. "Then let's go on a date." Fran stared, pink dusting his cheeks.

"N-No." He said, and turned away, blushing.

"Yes." Bel grinned.

"No."

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No! Get away-!" Fran was flung onto Bel's shoulder.

"Ushishishi! You're coming with me!" Bel laughed maniacally.

"Put me down!" Fran yelled in a monotone, pink splashed across his cheeks.

"Nope. I said that I'd kidnap you one day, and now I am! Remember the day at the fair?" The prince grinned, and started walking.

"Ubof cuborse ubi rubemubemubber, yubu ubidubiubotubic muborubonubic fubake ubass prubince!"

"…"

" 'Of course I remember, you idiotic moronic fake ass prince!' "

"Ushi. Now I get it. Froggy sure knows how to ruin the moment, don't you?"

"Yes. Now let me go."

"No."

"…I hate you."

"Mm, I know."

_***K*H*R***_

Chrome clung to Hibari's waist as they sped around the city to Aria-sensei's house on his motorbike. "U-Um, how do you know the way to Aria-sensei's house?" She called over the rush of the wind.

"Dino once took me there just to introduce me." He called back, weaving in and out of traffic. She blinked.

"D-Dino-sensei?" She asked. "Hn, that herbivore and I are kind of half-brothers." He scoffed. "That herbivore gets on my nerves all the time."

"Ah." She said. He parked the car behind a moderate looking house.

"We're here." Hibari said, turning off the engine. She nodded, swinging her legs off. They rang the doorbell and Hibari tapped his foot impatiently. Suddenly the door opened, revealing a small girl with sea-green hair, cut in a bob. The rest of her hair was long, and tied in the back. She also had a clover on her cheek, and the same warm smile as Aria-sensei. She was wearing a white short-sleeved dress with an orange ribbon at the waist.

"Hi!" She said excitedly, grinning. "Aria-nee said that someone was going to come and play with me, so I've been waiting for you guys!" She ushered them in.

"I'm Yuni Giglio! Nice to meet you!" She chirped. "What are we going to do?" Hibari and Chrome looked at each other.

"Um… Have you done your homework yet?" Chrome asked. Yuni nodded. "Then… do you want to play?"

"Sure! Let's play… um… Hide-and-seek!" She declared, standing up. "Ok, I'll be it, and you two hide, ok?" She said bossily.

They nodded. "Oh, and I'm Chrome Dokuro, and this is Cloud Person." Chrome introduced. Hibari glared.

"My name is not 'Cloud Person' herbivore, but it his Hibari Kyoya." Yuni nodded, and flapped her hands.

"Shoo, shoo! Go hide!"

They jogged off, and then Hibari sat down on a couch. She turned to him inquiringly. "I don't care to play an herbivore's game."

She rolled her eye. "Come on, Cloud Person." She grabbed his hand and pulled him up. He blushed a little. She shoved him behind a curtain and slipped in with him. He blushed even harder at their intimacy. She placed herself in front of him.

"Stop moving." She whispered. "She'll find us."

He blushed, but she didn't notice it, nor did she seem intimidated by this. He gritted his teeth when he realized that it meant she saw him only as a close friend. They faintly heard Yuni counting. "Nineteen, twenty! Ready or not, here I come!" She sang happily, and started searching for them.

Hibari flushed. Chrome was in front of him, and they were in a _very _intimate position. He swallowed, but said nothing, listening to her breathing. Suddenly the curtain was pulled aside.

"I found you!" Yuni declared triumphantly. The small girl grinned, her hands on her hips. "I guess Chrome-san will be it, because she's in front of Kyoya-san. So, count to twenty, ok?" She said, and ran off.

They played hide-and-seek for an hour, the green-haired girl never getting bored. Then she decided to play dress-up, which Hibari flat-out refused to play, no matter how much Chrome tried to coax him into playing. So the girls disappeared, and Hibari sat on the couch, tapping his foot impatiently. After ten minutes of sitting, the girls re-appeared. Yuni had her hair in pigtails. She was wearing a rabbit costume, with whiskers painted on her cheeks and bunny ears clipped on her hair.

Chrome smiled. Yuni grinned, and pounced on Hibari. "Kyoya-san, do you like it? Chrome-san is really good with stuff like this! She helped dress me up since there are no dresses that fit her."

Hibari nodded, and looked at the time. Chrome followed his eyes, and saw the time. "Ne, Yuni, I think it's time for you to go to bed." Yuni pouted, but obediently went to the bathroom to wash up and change into her pajamas. Chrome and Hibari sat there silently. She came out, her face clean and her hair loose. She was wearing orange PJs with squirrels on them. She was also holding a book.

"You need to read to me!" She said, holding up the book. Yuni led them to her room. Hibari blinked as they entered. It was as if the sun came in this room and exploded, along with squirrels. Everything was in a different shade of orange, and pictures of squirrels everywhere. Yuni climbed onto her bed and snuggled under the covers. Chrome sat on one side of the bed, Hibari on the other.

Chrome gave the book to the skylark. He eyed her questioningly. "Cloud Person didn't play dress-up, so he has to read." She said, smiling, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. A tic appeared, but he took up the book anyway. It was written in scribbles. The skylark twitched. Yuni beamed at him, confirming his suspicions that the small girl had written the 'book.' He ignored it, and started reading.

"**Once upon a time, there was a boy living in a small town.**" Hibari began, feeling stupider by the minute. "**He lived there happily for four years, but on the fifth year, his father died.**

"**The boy's name was Kumo (5), and he hated his mother for re-marrying. Kumo's mother married another man, but that man was vicious. The man already had a son who was 12 years old. The son was nice, but his father was not.**

"**Kumo hated his whole family bitterly, and ran away at the age of ten.**" Hibari paused. This sounded _eerily familiar._ He shook his head, and continued.

"**So Kumo lived alone for a long time, but then his brother found him. **

'**Kumo, I've been looking for you all over!' Kumo's brother exclaimed. 'I want you to live with me. I live alone now, because mom and dad kicked me out.' Kumo agreed, and lived with his brother. Although the older brother constantly annoyed Kumo, he acknowledged that his brother was a good person. **

"**One day Kumo met a small quiet girl, and immediately fell in love with her. He decided to protect her forever, but then she fell in love with a demon. Kumo was sad, but wanted her to be happy. So he watched over her, a silent guardian angel hidden in the shadows.**

"**However, one day, the girl had a change of heart. She realized that she did not really love the demon, but loved him in a more brotherly way. She realized that the person she loved all along was right next to her.**

"**She looked for him, and finally told him that-**"Hibari blinked. The page of the short story was ripped. He flipped to the next page, and but that was the end of the story. "It's ripped." He told the girl. The girl smiled.

"It's ok, Kyoya-san. Anyway, before I go to bed, you and Chrome-san need to kiss my cheek." She told them, smiling. Hibari twitched. "Please?" She asked them. He rolled his eyes, and leaned in. Yuni held up a hand to stop him.

"No." The prefect blinked.

"No?"

"No?" Chrome repeated, also confused. Yuni smiled. "You guys have to kiss my cheek at the same time!" She chirped.

"Ok?"

Hibari sighed, and nodded. Chrome agreed. Yuni grinned. "Kiss my cheek on the count of three ok? If you don't kiss me on the cheek at the same time, I won't go to sleep!"

"Alright, Yuni, but promise that you'll go to sleep if we do." Chrome said quietly. Yuni smiled, and nodded. She then covered her eyes with her hands.

"One… two…three!" Hibari leaned in quickly, and so did Chrome. However, at the last minute, Yuni leaned back into the headboard.

_So their lips crashed together._

Hibari's eyes widened as his lips crashed into Chrome's. Her eye flew open and saw the prefect's face right in front of her.

She pulled back, her eye wide open. She covered her lips, looking horrified. Hibari blinked.

Yuni grinned. "Missed me!" She said triumphantly. Hibari stood up abruptly, and stormed out of the room.

_***K*H*R***_

Chrome sat there, still as a stone. "U-Um, Chrome-san? Did I do something wrong?" asked Yuni, her green eyes wide with worry.

"I-I-Y-You shouldn't have dodged." She said quietly. Yuni blinked. "Why?"

"Because we kissed." Yuni cocked her head, confused.

"But… aren't you together?" Chrome shook her head quickly. "I-I-I'm so sorry, Chrome-san! I thought you two were together!" She exclaimed. Chrome shrugged.

"I-It's ok?" Chrome answered, turning it into a question.

Then they both heard a motorcycle start up, and roar away. Chrome stared at the bed, gripping her skirt tightly.

"U-Um, that's your ride, right? I'm sorry." Yuni said quietly, tears filling her eyes. "I'm really sorry." Chrome patted her head, and pulled out her phone.

{'Lo, Fran here.} Fran answered.

"F-Fran? U-Um, Cloud Person left so I don't have a ride. I'm going on the subway, ok?"

{No! Stay there! Damn, I'm gonna kill him… stay there, I'll come and get you.} Fran growled on the other end of the line.

"U-Um, you don't have to, I'll-"

{Don't even think about it.} Fran said flatly. {I'm coming over to get you.} Chrome bit her lip, hating that her brother was going to come over in the dark.

"But do you know the directions to Aria-sensei's house?" She asked, hoping to deter him.

{Bel-senpai has a GPS that tracks down your phone.} Chrome blinked.

"U-Um… Ok…" Fran hung up. Chrome sat there, and Yuni looked close to crying, although she was trying to put on a brave face.

"Yuni, it's ok. It's alright, you didn't know." The girl smoothed Yuni's hair back comfortingly. The girl swallowed thickly, and nodded. She snuggled under the covers.

"I'm going to bed." Chrome nodded, and walked out, turning off the light.

"Good night, Yuni. Sweet dreams." Yuni nodded, and closed her eyes. Chrome walked out, and decided she would check in after 10 minutes to see how Yuni was doing. Her phone rang, and she looked at the caller ID.

Mukuro.

"H-Hi Mukuro-san." She said, brightening up a bit. "Why are you calling?"

{Kufufufu. I just wanted to call you, my cute Chrome.} She smiled. {Anyway, how are you doing? Are you excited for the next special class thingamabob?} She giggled.

"It's Genus de Specialis(6), and, yes, I am excited. Lal-sensei says that I need to work with Collonello- sensei more so I'll be better at self-defense."

{Kufufufu. I can work with you too, you know. I don't want to see you get hurt.} She laughed at his worry.

"Ok, Mukuro-san."

{Kufufufufu. Well then, that's decided. Oh, and do you want to go to the movies on Wednesday?" She nodded, before realizing that he couldn't see her.

"Ok, Mukuro-san." Chrome said, smiling.

{Kufufufu, great. Good night, my cute Chrome. Love you.} Her smile faded. She had just kissed Hibari-san. But it was an accident. Plus she had put him in the trouble of finding her when she agreed to go with her father.

"…Mukuro-san." She said softly.

{What's wrong, Chrome?} He asked, sounding worried.

"I-I'm sorry. For everything." She whispered.

{Kufufu, my cute Chrome, what are you sorry for?}

"I-For making you worry when I left. And…" She bit her lip. He sounded close to panicking.

{Did something happen?}

"T-Today, I had to babysit Yuni." She started. He sounded confused.

{And?} He prompted her. She swallowed. "With Cloud Person." His tone grew menacing.

{What did he do to you?} He growled. {I swear, if he hurt you, I'd shove his cell phone so deep up his ass that he'd be able to hear his beloved Namimori anthem playing.}

She sweat-dropped. "W-Well, um, Yuni had us kiss her cheeks at the same time, but at the last minute, she dodged, so…" He voice trailed off.

"I-I'm sorry." Her voice cracked, and her eyes welled with tears. "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to." She gulped in a breath of air to steady her voice. "Hahaha. I'm making excuses for myself. I'm sorry, Mukuro-san." She took a deep breath, preparing for the final blow.

"It's ok if you want to break it off. I don't mind." She said quietly. "I guess my dad was right." She muttered, talking to herself. "I really am a bitch."

{Don't you ever say that.} Mukuro said sharply. {Don't you ever agree with your stinking fucking father. He's a bastard, and he's wrong.}

"H-Huh?" She said, confused. "D-Don't you hate me?" Mukuro laughed softly. {Me? No. It wasn't your fault that Yuni decided to dodge. You didn't know. It wasn't your fault.} He repeated. She smiled.

"Thank you, Mukuro-san. I love you too."

{Kufufu, Good night, my cute Chrome.} She grinned.

"Good night." She hung up, and smiled.

She turned back to the room to check on Yuni. "Yuni?" She whispered softly. "Are you ok?"

Yuni sat up, and smiled as if nothing happened. "I'm ok." She grinned. "Thanks for staying with me."

Chrome frowned, and walked over to her. "Are you sure you're ok?" She asked, uncertain. He touched her arm. Her eye widened. Her sleeve was wet. Yuni moved her arm away, still smiling. "You've been crying." Chrome said firmly. She pulled Yuni over, and hugged her.

"It's _ok._" She said steadily. "It's not your fault." Yuni sniffed, then buried her head into Chrome's shoulder.

Chrome and Yuni sat there for a while before the doorbell rang. "That's Fran." Chrome said. "I have to go now. Good night, and don't worry about it." Yuni nodded, and Chrome left. Once the door was closed, she got out of her bed, and pulled out a ripped piece of paper.

"Ne, Chrome-san, did you even realize that the person you really love was next to you all along?" She whispered, holding up the piece of paper.

It was the last page of the book.

"**-And finally told him that she loved him, but was too stupid to realize it. He accepted, and they lived together happily ever after.**" Yuni smiled, liking the way it rolled off her tongue.

"Happily ever after."

_***K*H*R***_

Hibari roared off into the distance, his heart throbbing. He screeched to a stop at his apartment. He flung open his door and stormed in, ignoring Dino's questions. He went straight to his bedroom. **Hurts, doesn't it?** A voice in the back of his head said.

"Shut UP!" He growled, and punched his pillow. Damn Yuni. Damn Mukuro. Damn Aria. Damn _everything_.

"Shit." He muttered. It hurt so badly he wanted to cry for the first time in-what was it?- twelve years. He hadn't cried since his father died. To think that he had kissed Chrome, but it was an _accident. _It meant _nothing. _But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was when he thought it was perfect, having his first kiss with her, but she pulled back with a look of _horror _on her face. Covering her lips with one hand as if her lips were tainted with something foul.

He gritted his teeth. He _will_ forget about this. He will _not _let this bother him. This was not what a carnivore did.

But it just hurt so much.

_***K*H*R***_

"Nufufufu." Chuckled a mysterious voice. "I'm back, little brother…" A gloved hand rubbed a chin thoughtfully.

"I wonder… if your heart is still that weak. It would be fun to break it, wouldn't it? Mukuro." A red eye glittered maliciously.

And in the middle of the red eye a clover gleamed.

_***K*H*R***_

_**(1) Since I'm writing about Namimori, I tried to think of a proper name for the place where Squalo popped up and attacked Tsuna and his friends in the manga and anime. That place never had a name, so I just made one up. This is completely fictional.**_

_**(2) Nebbia is Italian for 'Mist' which I got from a chapter in Reborn where Chrome attacks Tsuna and his friends because she's being controlled.**_

_**(3) I don't know how much you're supposed to charge for buying a body, so I just randomly guessed the price.**_

_**(4) Ubby-Dubby is a language in which you put a 'UB' in front of every vowel in every syllable. For example, if I said, 'Yamamoto is totally awesome.' It would sound like this: 'Yubamubamubotubo ubis tubotubaluby ubasubome."**_

_**My friend speaks fluent Ubby-Dubby, which I think sounds so cool that you can speak like that cuz it sounds like saying "bar bar bar bub bar bub bub bub bub." Most of the time.**_

_**For those who still don't get it, this is Chrome's and Fran's dialogue:**_

_Fran: Are you alone?_

_Chrome: Huh? What do you mean?_

_Fran: I'm just worried that you'll get attacked again. You seem to be very accident-prone. Are you alone right now?_

_Chrome: No, Cloud Person is with me._

_Fran: Make sure that you come back before ten, got that?_

_Chrome: I understand. I'll be back before ten. Thanks Fran, bye._

_**(5) Kumo means 'Cloud' in Japanese.**_

_**(5) It's in Latin. It literally means, 'Class of the Special'. Yeah, I take Latin, but I wasn't so sure so I used google translate to help me. Yeah. It was a very reliable source (NOT!)**_

_**Finally done! Wow, this one was finished a lot faster too. Anyhoo, I'm writing this part at 11:34 at night. I couldn't sleep, so I decided to finish this. Good thing my roommate didn't wake up and the teacher didn't come to check in on me. Boarding school is so hectic. Anyhooo, please review and keep on reading! Sorry for updating so slowly!**_

_**Anybody who gets this question right will get a one-shot dedicated to them with any pairing they like!**_

_**Who said this in the anime to Hibari? "Suck it." **_

_**Thanks again for reading! XD**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimers: I do not own KHR**_**or**___**Romeo and Juliet**_**or**___**Superheroes from comics**_**or**___**Perry**_**or**___**… you know what? I'll just make it easier.**_**I own nothing.**_

Shouichi clapped his hands sharply together, jolting most of the class awake. "Ok, today we're going to brainstorm to write an epic story about yourselves!" Shouichi smiled encouragingly at the class. "I know that this sounds really boring, but it'll be really fun. You need a main character, four pages, minimum." Chrome yawned. English class was too boring. They were supposed to be dividing into groups and discuss what was going to be the main character's name and other things in the story.

"I want to be superman. That way I'd be super strong and I can protect the Tenth!" Gokudera declared.

"Well, I want to be Wonder Woman!" Haru said excitedly. "She's super strong, has golden bracelets, and is really, really sexy!" Haru squealed.

"Thy wisheth to be Benvolio, who cometh from Verona! Benvolio dost gentle and kind, also brave! He ne'er hurts anyone." Basil said, smiling.

"Ahahaha! Well then I'd want to be… ummm…" Yamamoto creased his brows in thought. "I know! I'd be the Flash, so I could run really fast and get more homeruns!"

Tsuna smiled brightly when he realized what he wanted to be. "I want to be Perry, from the Phineas and Ferb show! That way I can have fun _and_be a super cool spy!"

Fran scoffed. "Man, you all are so dumb." Haru and Gokudera glared at him.

"Oh yeah? So who's your superhero?" Gokudera challenged. The small green-haired boy smirked.

"Batman."

Haru and the Italian laughed. "Seriously? He doesn't even have superpowers!" Fran shrugged.

"I'd be a millionaire. I wouldn't need powers." Fran smirked again. "I could have anything I want."

Gokudera scowled. Shouichi came up. "What's wrong? Having trouble thinking of ideas?" there was a chorus of 'no's. "What do you want to be, Chrome?" Shouichi asked her. She looked down on the floor.

"No one. I like being myself." She said simply. "I don't need to be anyone." Everyone stopped talking and then smiled.

"You're right, Chrome!" Yamamoto said cheerily, clapping her back. Shouichi smiled, then went away to another group. That group was talking animatedly.

"Well, this is cool! Oh, and superheroes need a catchphrase, right?" the athlete said thoughtfully. "Hmm… I guess mine will be 'Get off your horse and drink your milk'?" He grinned. The others anime-fell.

"You idiot!" the hot-headed Italian yelled, bonking Yamamoto on the head. "Why that?"

The baseball star looked serious. "Because milk is good for you. It gives you more calcium and makes you stronger. Which reminds me," Yamamoto frowned at Gokudera. "You should drink more milk. I think you're lacking calcium, with all those mood swings and such." Gokudera growled. Fran held up a hand.

"Calm down." He said flatly. "Because I have an even better quote than all of you guys. It's so cool, it's a rap. I made it up." He added, looked smug. The Italian crossed his arms.

"Ok, let's hear it." The small green-haired boy shrugged.

"Ok, here it is: 'Life is a girl full of estrogen, and when she hands you lemons, you throw them at pedestrians.*'" He smiled a little. "Cool, huh? It rhymes too."

Haru blushed furiously.

Yamamoto laughed uneasily.

Tsuna spluttered.

Chrome and Basil both frowned in confusion.

Gokudera choked on his spit.

"Hubababababa!" Tsuna stuttered. "Habimimomihabababa!" He babbled frantically, failing his hands.

Gokudera grabbed Fran by the collar. "Don't taint the Tenth's ears with such… ew-ness!"

Fran blinked, and then sneered. "'ew-ness'?" He repeated. "You're too childish."

Yamamoto separated them. "Calm down," he said soothingly. "There's nothing to worry about." He turned to Fran. "Do you know what the word 'estrogen' means?" He asked Fran.

"No." Fran responded in a dead monotone. "I just heard it before, and it rhymed with 'pedestrians'. Why?" The baseball star took a deep breath.

"It's a hormone that girls have when they're going through menopause." Gokudera cut in before the athlete could say a word. "You disgusting little creep."

"It's not like you're a pure beauty either." Fran shot back, bored. "Besides, I should probably change the lyrics, shouldn't I?" The Italian nodded. But his approving look on his face vanished the next moment.

"'Life's like Gokudera, full of estrogen. So when he hands you lemons, you throw them at pedestrians.'" He monotoned, waving his index fingers like a conductor. Gokudera growled again and launched himself at Fran. Yamamoto jumped forward and pulled the hot-headed Italian into a headlock.

"Calm down!" Gokudera kept on thrashing wildly.

"Let me at him, let me at him, I'm gonna rip out his guts and shove them into his-"

"But its true isn't it? You always have mood swings, and women going through menopause have mood swings. Therefore, I am correct." Fran interrupted him, looking bored. Gokudera twitched and broke free of his headlock.

And the room erupted into a whirl of flying chairs and screaming.

_***K*H*R***_

Chrome panted, sweat dripping down her face. Lal growled at her. "Come on, Dokuro, land a hit on me and I'll let you have a break."

She lunged, and the next second she was flat on her back. She coughed, feeling the wind being knocked out of her. Lal came into view. She pulled Chrome up harshly. "Come on! Get a grip! I didn't let you join the class because I need a punching bag- I already have enough. So," The fiery woman glared. "Hit me, or go _home._"

Chrome's eye went wide at the hidden threat of being dismissed. So she jabbed at Lal, but the woman dodged, and swung a kick at Chrome's head, knocking her sideways. Stars erupted into her sight. "Get. _Up_." Lal said quietly, glaring. She glared around the room, where people stopped to stare. "All of you take a break." She turned to the small girl lying on her side. "Dokuro, come with me."

Chrome slowly got up, her body protesting. She followed Lal into a corner. "Y-Yes?" Lal stared at her.

"Go see Collonello, and take a few combat courses. The test is in three weeks, and I want you to pass. I've never failed someone before, and I don't want to now, but if you don't improve, then I have no choice." Chrome nodded hesitantly. "Don't come back 'till you're able to dodge properly."

"O-Ok…" She walked out to Collonello, who was battling Mukuro. "U-Umm… Collonello-sensei, Lal-sensei says-" He nodded before she could continue.

"Oi, Rokudo, go to Lal to polish up some of your skills, kora! Dokuro, come over here." He gestured, and Mukuro walked off, sending a sympathetic look. Chrome swallowed. He looked her over. "Lal sure did overdo it, kora." He commented. She shrugged, suppressing a wince. He took up a stance.

"Alright, keep your hands out. Stand on your toes, so you're ready at all times, kora." He lunged, and she jumped to the side to avoid the hit. "No." He said calmly. She blinked.

"No?" he shook his head.

"No. just twist your body; you should barely avoid the hit to exert as little energy as possible, so you can draw out the battle, tire him out, kora. Then you can start attacking."

She nodded, and took up a stance again. He jumped towards her, and she twisted her head, the hands coming clean past her face. He looked surprised. "You learn fast, kora." She shrugged again, a little embarrassed. He grunted, and whirled around to kick her. She ducked down, and punched his standing leg. He didn't even move. She clutched her hand.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow." She muttered. **Stupid weak little hand.** She cursed.

He looked at her. "Nice try, kora. But we really need to strengthen your muscles." He ran to her right side, and threw a punch at her face. She didn't see it, because it was her blind side. Chrome's head whipped to the side as his punch hit her cheek, and promptly knocked her out.

"_Oi, Collonello, go get Luss, you idiot."_

"_Got it, kora."____**Fading footsteps.**_

"_Collonello, you idiot! I'm gonna kill you for hurting her."_

"_Ahaha, calm down."_

"_She's knocked out, TO THE EXTREME!"_

"_Shut up, lawn head, we can see that!"_

"_Shh, you guys are going to wake her. I think that it's best if she sleeps it off."_

"_Ushishi. We'd better notify Froggy."_

" _Dost thou haveth Nebbia-san's number?"_

Chrome groaned, her hand going up to her head. She opened her eyes blearily to bright light. She squeezed them shut again.

"_Oi! She's waking up!"_

"_Chrome? Chrome? Can you hear me?"__**Footsteps coming nearer.**_

"_Oooo, I heard honeybun's hurt again! My, my, she does seem to be very accident-prone, doesn't she?"_

"_Oi, shut up, and help her!"_

"_Kufufu. For once, Tsunayoshi's pet is right."_

"_Oi! Be quiet, TO THE EXTREME!"_

"_Mah, mah, let's all calm down now."_

"Mngh…" Chrome mumbled. She tried to open her eye, and saw a lot of different colored blobs in front of her. Her eye opened wide at all the different colors. She blinked, and the blobs became a little more defined. Blinked again. and again. Where was she? She didn't recognize where she was. She started to sit up, becoming scared. Hands wrapped themselves around her waist, and she panicked, pulling at the arms, ignoring the massive headache.

"Shh, Chrome, it's ok, calm down." A voice said behind her. She blinked once, her head pounding.

"M-Mukuro-saa?" She croaked, and turned to look behind her. Recognizing the blob, she relaxed into his arms. "W-Wha happn'd?" She managed to mumble. Her head, ears, and eye hurt badly.

"Phew, you're ok, my cute Chrome. I thought this idiot here killed you." Mukuro glared at the blob in directly in front of her. The splotch of color became sharper. Collonello raised his hands defensively. "Oi, I thought she'd be able enough to dodge, kora! She dodged the first one correctly."

"Shut up, and help her." The silver blob on the right side of Collonello cut in rudely. "She doesn't look good." Gokudera gave the teacher an icy glare.

"Collonello. Leave it." The black glop on the right side of Collonello said as Collonello opened his mouth to retort. "They've got it under control. Let's move out of the circle so we can give her space to breathe." The blonde nodded, and stood up with Lal.

"C-Chrome? A-Are you alright?" Tsuna said worriedly, on the left side of her. She recognized him even before his image became clear. His spiky brown hair gave the blob a weird shape, making her realize that it was him.

"M-M'kay." She murmured, feeling light-headed. She wanted to throw up. "Ohhh…. I forgot what Reborn told me to do in these situations…" Tsuna groaned, looked at her through wide concerned eyes. "Um… uh…oh yeah! Keep her still, and lay her down on a pillow so she won't move. Turn her face to the side and do not give her food or water, or she might throw up." Tsuna ordered. "We need to get her to a hospital, and fast. Check to see if she has any bleeding around her eye, ears, or nose."

A big black splotch ran off. Chrome guessed it was Yamamoto. "Oh, you're good, Tsunayoshi-kun! Exactly what she needs!" Crooned a rainbow- **rainbow? **Chrome thought blearily- colored blob. "Well, now we need to notify her guardians and get her to the hospital for a checkup." She felt a cold hand on the side of her head where she had been kicked. Pain exploded into her head when the hand came into contact. She squeezed her eye shut.

"Nghh." She whimpered, her eye still closed, and buried herself into the warmth behind her.

"Yup, by the size of that, I'm guessing she might have a concussion." Lussaria said calmly. Mukuro sounded _very_worried.

"What do you mean by that? Come on, spit it out!" He glared.

"All I meant is that honeybunches might not be right in the head, that's it. She might be woozy, or acting strangely. All in all, what I'm trying to say is that she might be a little… odd, right now, that's all." Mukuro snarled.

"Are you calling my girlfriend crazy?" At that moment, when she heard his voice, Chrome wanted to start singing the Namimori anthem to scare him for fun. She suppressed the temptation. Luss laughed, and waved his hands, his pinkies sticking straight up.

"No, no, of course not! Just saying, Collonello might've… rattled her brain up a bit."

Mukuro aimed a kick at the nurse, his hands still propping up Chrome. The school nurse dodged, waving his index finger. "Now, now, don't be violent. You'll make her sick with your jostling." The pineapple growled lowly, but did not move. Yamamoto came back, holding a pillow. Yamamoto kneeled down next to her, and placed the pillow under her head. Mukuro laid her head down gently on the pillow, and turned her face to the side.

She couldn't open her eye anymore, it hurt too much. So she relaxed, and let the blackness overwhelm her.

_***K*H*R***_

Fran slowly led Chrome to her bedroom, the doctor saying it was only a mild concussion, and lay down her on her bed. "Thanks, Fran." She said gratefully. "But I'm fine, really. I don't have a headache anymore, and I can walk. I don't need to walk that slowly." She smiled.

He shook his head. "I don't want you to jostle yourself." He monotoned, not caring if he was being too overprotective. She smiled, and pressed her index and middle finger to his forehead. She pushed his head back lightly.

"Don't worry. I'm fine." She smiled reassuringly. Fran hesitated, and nodded.

"But you're not going to school for the rest of the week," He said flatly. "I don't want you to get hurt." She paused, and nodded, understanding him. He walked over to her windows, closed the curtains, and flicked off the light so the room was comfortably dark for her.

"Thanks, Fran." She said again, and he nodded, and walked out. Mammon was peeling oranges downstairs, throwing the peels into the bin and the oranges into a container to put into the fridge. "Well?" She prompted him when she saw him. He shrugged, his face giving nothing away.

"She's fine, but I don't think that she should go to school for the rest of the weeks." His sister nodded approvingly.

"Good call." She went back to peeling oranges. The doorbell rang. Fran opened the door, but was surprised when nobody was there. He shut the door, and went back. "Who was it?" Mammon asked, peeling the last orange, and snapping the container shut.

"Nobody. There was no one waiting outside." He said, emotionless.

"Hn." Mammon said, opening the fridge, and placing the oranges inside so they would be icy cold when they ate them. "Stupid teens these days can't think of cooler pranks." She mumbled. "Arcobaleno was much better."

"Oh right, that's what your group of friends were called when you were younger," Fran said, sipping some orange juice. "I remember you telling me about it. But you never told me who was in it."

Mammon stiffened for a moment. "Well, there's nothing to say." She said shortly, and sat down at the dinner table. Fran turned to look at her as she spread her accountant sheets on the desk.

"Come onnnnnn…" Fran whined in a monotone. "I wanna knowwww…" Fran could imagine her rolling her hidden eyes. He waited, not pushing it.

"Fine." She sighed when she knew he wouldn't give up. "Yay." He monotoned.

"Ok, there were seven of us in a group. We called ourselves the Arcobaleno, because our personalities sort of represented different types of weather, and the weather had different colors. Arcobaleno means 'rainbow' in Italian, by the way." Fran raised an eyebrow. She huffed, knowing what he thought. "Yes, yes, it's stupid, I know, but we were kids, and the name stuck until we were teens." She cleared her throat.

"I was the Mist, indigo, the mysterious one." She said, smirking a little. "It was one of the reasons why I changed our last names to Nebbia when we ran away. Luche Giglio, the Sky, orange and bright, the happy leader. Verde Cain (1), the green lightning, and sly one." She paused, her lip curling in distaste.

"Verde was always annoying me." She scowled. Fran gestured her to go on. "There was Reborn Forte (2), the yellow sun, shining brightly." Fran nodded. "I know both Reborn and Luche. They're married now." He informed his sister.

"Hn. They were the two oldest of the group." Mammon said. "They're probably in their thirties now. Well, then there was Collonello Duro (3) the rain. His color was blue. He and I were the youngest of the group, both 25 now. There was another, his crush, but she went to the military. He tried to follow her, but it was too late. She was already in another place. In her place, he took up the position of the rain."

Fran thought about this. "Hn, well, I know Collonello too, and I think he's got his eye on someone else." He told her, thinking about Lal. The woman nodded. "Good, I don't want him moping around again."

She took a deep breath, and continued telling her younger brother about her old friends. "There was the calm before the storm, Fon Hibari, red-"

"Did you say _Hibari_?" Fran asked, his teal eyes wide. She nodded, confused. "I- don't you remember? _Hibari Kyoya_?" She paused, then laughed quietly in understanding.

"Yes, Hibari is Fon's son. The spitting image of him, in fact, but with shorter hair and puffier cheeks."

"Eh? How old is Fon?" Fran monotoned, curious. Mammon shrugged. "Around his thirties, like Reborn. He married Mia Aquila(4) when he was 25. Hibari's a bastard, whether he likes it or not. He ran away from home when he was young, not being able to handle Fon's new wife after Mia died." She said softly.

"Hn." Fran mumbled, taking it in.

"I saw Hibari when he was a baby. So when I saw him at the Square, I wasn't sure that it was really him; I just assumed that he had died. He was the spitting image of Fon, excluding the eyes. He had Mia's eyes. When he told me, I just accepted it. I didn't want to be reminded of the Arcobaleno, so I didn't say anything." Mammon continued.

Fran raised an eyebrow. "Why don't you want to be reminded of the Arcobaleno?" He asked. She stiffened visibly.

"Just didn't want to." She said evasively. The boy continued to stare, but said nothing.

"Well, what about the seventh? You mentioned only six." He prompted her after a while. She swallowed hard.

"T-The seventh was name Skull. Just Skull. He's probably in his mid-twenties too. He was the cloud, and his color was violet." Fran's eye narrowed slightly. His sister had just _stuttered._No. This was not just a friend. Mammon Nebbia did not _stutter_.

"Who is he?" He said, staring blankly at her, his eyes accusing. She turned her head away.

"I don't know what you are talking about." She said flatly.

"No. You do know." Fran monotoned. She stiffened, but revealed nothing.

"He is a friend, and nothing more, if you are trying to hint at something." She said composedly. Fran mentally growled, but kept his cool. He looked her over, and his eyes went wide as he figured it out.

"You loved him, but he never loved you back, did he?" He said quietly. She gripped her pants tightly as she realized that he figured it out.

"No. He didn't." She said tightly. "He never did."

Fran said nothing, wanting his sister to let loose of everything. "I was secretly happy that he had asked me out one day. I resisted at first, not knowing what to do, but agreed to in the end after relentless asking. Then 5 months later, after I began believing in him, after letting him tear down my walls," She shook with anger. "I saw him making out with another whore." Fran scooted closer to her, and rubbed her back gently.

"That bastard. It was too much, so we left our home that day, taking Chrome with us." Fran nodded, remembering her sad aura radiating from her as the three of them began their journey to Namimori.

They sat in silence for a while, then Fran stood up. "I'm going to check on Chrome." He said quietly. Mammon understood that he was giving her some time alone. She was grateful for that. Fran left the room.

"He never loved me." She repeated to the empty room. Mammon bit her lip, and tucked back her hair on the left side of her head, an earring glittered brightly. It was silver, and on the earring was a symbol carved on it. The carving represented the cloud and mist mingling together.

"But I've always loved _you_." She whispered. "Did you ever realize that?"

_***K*H*R***_

"Oi, concentrate!" Lal barked at Collonello. She swung a fist at him. He blocked it, and tried to do a sweep kick. She jumped over it, and punched him in the gut. "You're never going to beat me like this! How are you a teacher?" She yelled at him as she pinned him down.

"K-Kora. You're still as good as ever." He smiled weakly. She scoffed, and got off him.

"More like you still suck." She snorted, crossing her arms. He got up, rubbing his sore arms. He smiled softly at her.

"You never changed, did you?" He asked her, still smiling. He remembered his visit to Viper's house-sorry, now Mammon- and chickened out in the last minute to ask her for help. Fran had opened the door to nothing. Collonello had jumped into a bush on the side of the house.

But he had overheard everything. It brought back memories, and, hidden in the bush, he had panicked as he realized what could happen.

"_There was another, his crush, but she went to the military. He tried to follow her, but it was too late. She was already in another place."_

She could leave again before he could say anything. He thought. He _had_to do something. Before she left again.

Before Lal Mirch, the love of his life, left again.

He licked his lips nervously, thinking about it. **Say it.**He urged himself. **Quick. Before it's too late, again.**He swallowed, rubbing his sore arm from having Lal pin him down.

"N-Ne, Lal?" He stuttered. He cursed inwardly. _**So**_**not cool.**She turned from the bench, a towel hanging around her neck and a bottle of water in her hand.

"What?" She said sourly. "If you're going to ask me to spar with you again, then no. Train yourself first, or clear your thoughts. You weren't concentrating." **Only because I was worrying about you.** Collonello thought. He stared at her, not knowing what to do. She raised an irritated eyebrow. "Oi, if you're going to talk, talk. Stop standing there like an idiot."

"I…" His voice died away. He swallowed nervously. She crossed her arms, very annoyed now. "You…?" She prompted, irritation creeping into her voice. He felt cold sweat run down his neck as he steered himself to tell her that he liked- no, loved- her for more than 19 years. Since he met her when they were six.

"I…" She growled at him.

"Spit it out, I don't have all the time in the world!" She snapped.

"I'd like to spar with you again tomorrow, kora!" He blurted. She looked surprised, but nodded. She threw her towel at him. "Was it so hard to say that?" She said, scowling. "That's 5 minutes of my life I won't be getting back." She walked out, waving a hand casually.

"See you tomorrow, Collonello." After the door closed, he sagged. He ran a finger through his hair, sweat dripping off the ends of his blonde hair. He laughed bitterly, his laughter echoing around the room.

He was such a disgusting coward.

_***K*H*R***_

Mammon straightened her skirt, scowling. She made sure her bangs would cover her eyes, and with all the concealer she had put on, she _could not_cover the triangles under her eyes. She growled at the mirror, already pissed.

Today was the first day she was going to work for- tadaa!- Skull. Fate just hated her so much. She put on a blazer over her white dress shirt and dark purple pencil skirt. She had the rest of her hair up in a ponytail but her bangs covered her eyes. She folded back the cuffs of the white shirt onto the blazer, and slipped into her flats.

She wasn't going to wear heels, because they would kill her feet. And Mammon valued comfort more than anything. But this- this was the one thing that was not comfortable. Seeing him again was going to kill her. But she needed the job. She growled. At least he didn't see her clearly. At the job interview a preppy girl led her to him, but he had said a vague 'hello' and went back to making arrangements.

She doubted that he even looked at her properly. But that was good. He was the boss, and she was the accountant. She would never see him often, and she had even changed her name. He would not know it was her. Relieved at that thought, she set out of her house.

The preppy girl beamed at her when she entered. "Hi, Mammon-san! Come on in, I'll take you to your office." Mammon nodded quietly, and then followed the girl into the elevator. The girl chattered animatedly, talking about superstars and weather. The purple-haired woman gave a vague 'Hn.' And stared out the glass.

"Your office is in here." The girl stepped out onto floor 26 and led her to a room. It was well-furnished, and had a large window that overlooked the city. Mammon plopped her bag down and sat down in the chair.

"Thanks." She said, and set to work. The girl nodded, and left. Mammon typed quickly, making calculations and plans. However, fifteen minutes later, she heard arguing outside her door.

"-you _need_to meet her! Give her a warm welcome; make her feel comfortable working for you. She's amazing at calculating and stuff, in fact, her old job at her old company hates us because we managed to get her!"

Mammon scowled. The preppy girl was back with another guy.

"But I don't want to! She's good, then great. I need to make plans-" The girl interrupted him. Mammon watched them through the blurry window on her office door. Two shadowy figures stood outside, gesturing.

"No. Go in and meet Mammon!" She said angrily. "As your right-hand woman, you are to go in and greet her!" The man's voice turned into a whine.

"But I don't _want_to!" The girl's voice turned scary.

"_Go. In. Now."_The man gulped audibly.

"Alright, alright, sheesh." The man knocked, and opened the door. Mammon's breath caught in her throat as she recognized the hair. Then the face. He ran a hand ruefully through his hair.

"Well, hi, I'm Skull and…Viper?" He said stupidly. Mammon kept her face neutral.

"Hello, Skull-san, I'm Mammon." She stood up, and bowed.

"H-Huh? Mammon? N-Not V-V-Viper?" He stuttered, still staring. The girl stared over his shoulder.

"You guys know each other?" Mammon cut in smoothly.

"No. I've never met him before." She said, lying easily, falling back into her old habit.

"You're lying." Skull cut in, staring. "I can tell. You're Viper, aren't you?"

"No. I am not." She said, denying it. She would not go back to the old times.

"_It's ok, we're just dating, not going to war."_

"_Please go out with me!"_

"_I love you."_

Mammon gritted her teeth. "I am not this Viper you are talking about. I am Mammon Nebbia, your new accountant. If you are going to be a whiney baby insisting that I am someone I know I am not; then I can leave." She said icily. Skull opened his mouth, but then he closed it, looking doubtful. Then he perked up.

"Wait, _Nebbia_?" Mammon blinked. **Shit**. She thought, realizing her mistake. She shouldn't have said her last name.

"'Mist'." He said, looking at her. His face brightened. "I've finally found you, Vi-" Mammon banged her hand on the table. She glared at him, glad her bangs were covering her eyes so he wouldn't see them filled with tears.

"Don't give me that shit." She hissed. He blinked.

"Huh? Vip-" She cut in, furious.

"Don't give me any more of that 'Viper' bullshit. I am not Viper. She is merely a shell from long ago." She turned to the girl. "I quit. I'm not dealing with this idiot here." She walked out, picking up her bag. She went to the elevator and rode it down, having some satisfaction when the elevator doors closed in Skull's face.

She went to the ground floor and strode towards her car. "Viper! Viper, wait!" She walked more quickly, not looking back. She got into her car and started it. He ran to her car, his black suit rumpled, his purple hair ruffled. He banged on the window. "V-Viper." He gasped, trying to regain his breath. Mammon guessed that he ran down the stairs, as the elevator occupied by her.

"Viper. Listen to me." He said, pleading, his hands on the window. He was breathing heavily, his shoulders heaving up and down. She stared determinedly ahead, gripping the steering wheel. She blinked rapidly to hold back tears. "Viper. Please." He whispered through the window.

She couldn't take it anymore. She stamped her foot on the pedal and roared away. She looked in the rearview mirror, and her heart clenched. Skull stood there, looking hurt, staring at her car. She gritted her teeth.

And felt the tears she had been trying to hold back slide down her cheeks.

_***K*H*R***_

Skull sat there when suddenly his right-hand woman burst in. "Skull-san, you need to greet our new accountant!" He was annoyed.

"I'm not free, Yukio. Go and annoy someone else. I need to make plans; this motorcycle company won't run itself, you know." Skull ran a famous company that sold motorcycles and motorcycle parts. Yukio didn't say anything, but grabbed his hand and dragged him to the elevator.

They argued the whole way.

The doors opened and she dragged him to the front of an office. He ripped his arm free, whining. "I don't want to! You know I break out into hives when I'm expected to do something important!" Yukio planted her hands on her hips, tossing her long brown hair back.

"No, Skull, you _need_to meet her! Give her a warm welcome; make her feel comfortable working for you. She's amazing at calculating and stuff, in fact, her old job at her old company hates us because we managed to get her!" The girl protested.

He started to be pissed. "But I don't want to! She's good, then great. I need to make plans-" Yukio interrupted him before he could finish.

"No. Go in and meet Mammon!" She said angrily. "As your right-hand woman, you are to go in and greet her!"

He started to whine, desperate to not greet the new girl. "But I don't _want_to!" Yukio turned on her inner banshee. Dark aura flowed around her, her eyes glittering.

"_Go. In. Now."_She hissed. He was terrified. He gulped, and agreed.

"Alright, alright, sheesh."

He knocked the door, and opened it. Skull looked at the ground, and ran a hand through his messy purple hair ruefully. "Well, hi, I'm Skull and…Viper?" He said stupidly, recognizing the bangs, the triangles, the neutral look.

"Hello, Skull-san, I'm Mammon." The girl stood up, and bowed.

"H-Huh? Mammon? N-Not V-V-Viper?" He stuttered, still staring.

Yukio stood on her tiptoes, peering over his shoulder. "You guys know each other?"

"No. I've never met him before." Viper/Mammon said.

"You're lying." Skull cut in, staring, knowing that she was lying. He could always tell when Viper was lying. "I can tell. You're Viper, aren't you?"

"No. I am not." She said, denying it. Skull frowned. "I am not this Viper you are talking about. I am Mammon Nebbia, your new accountant. If you are going to be a whiney baby insisting that I am someone I know I am not; then I can leave." The girl said, crossing her arms.

Skull opened his mouth, but then he closed it, uncertain. Then he remembered something she said. "Wait, _Nebbia_?" The girl blinked, looking surprised that he had caught her.

"'Mist'." He said, looking at her. He smiled, feeling happiness bubble up inside of him. "I've finally found you, Vi-" Viper banged her hand on the table. She looked up at him, and he could feel her glaring at him.

"Don't give me that shit." She hissed, anger radiating from her. Skull blinked confusedly.

He tried to speak. "Huh? Vip-" She cut in, before he could continue.

"Don't give me any more of that 'Viper' bullshit. I am not Viper. She is merely a shell from long ago." Viper turned to Yukio. "I quit. I'm not dealing with this idiot here." She nodded towards Skull, picked up her bag, and strode out of the room. Skull, momentarily paralyzed by shock, jolted himself into action, running out after her.

"Viper! Viper, wait a sec!" He yelled, but as he reached the elevator, the doors slid shut in his face. He gritted his teeth. "Crapballs." He turned to the fire escape and ran down, ignoring the stich in his side, breathing hard as he raced downstairs. He burst out onto the ground floor, his hair ruffled, his shirt crumpled, and out of breath.

He looked around, and saw Viper walking quickly towards her car. He ran after her. "Viper! Viper, wait!" He yelled. He saw her stiffen, and walk more quickly towards her. He panted heavily; he was in really bad shape.

She got into her car, and slammed the door shut, turning on the engine. He skidded to a stop outside the door. He banged on the window, desperate. "V-Viper." He breathed hard, trying to regain his breath. She gripped the steering wheel tighter, and stared ahead as if she didn't hear him. He tried anyway. "Viper. Listen to me." He begged, his eyes wide. He couldn't let her leave again. He had to straighten things out.

"Viper. Please." He whispered, his breath fogging up the glass. She suddenly stamped on the pedal, and drove away. He stared dejectedly at the retreating car.

He gritted his teeth angrily, and ran a hand through his already messy hair. He let out an angry breath. He breathed hard, still trying to regain his breath, his shoulders heaving as he continued to stare at the spot where Mammon's car had disappeared.

He turned, and slammed his palms onto the hood of the car next to him. "Dammit!" He hissed angrily, sinking down to his knees. He punched the car again, and his knuckles started bleeding.

He turned to the building, and went upstairs to grab his bag and retire for the day. As he drove home, he gritted his teeth so hard they ached. But he couldn't forgive himself. After that he made that stupid mistake, he had no time to make up for it. She left.

He was left alone to deal with his guilt and left alone to mend his broken heart. But it was probably harder for her, because he was the one that had turned his back to her. He was the only one that was able to tear down the walls she had built around herself. He was the only one that she had ever loved, and had been her first kiss.

_+Flashback+_

_Skull opened his locker door, and a note slipped out of it. He stooped down, and picked it up. 'Hey Skull, I need to meet you today in the science lab. Meet me there at 4:00.' It was from the high school idol. He had no idea why she would want to meet him, he was looked down on and everyone laughed at him for his clumsiness. He didn't like her, even though she was incredibly hot, super smart, had long white legs and-_

_**Stop it.**__He thought immediately.____**I have Viper, who is equally hot and is not at all fake.**____Nevertheless, he went anyway, because he wanted to know what that was about._

_He went there at four, and it was empty. He tapped his foot impatiently. He wanted to take Viper out for a ride on his bike. Then a cough came from the side of the room. He whipped around, and saw Sakura Saki, the school idol._

_"Hey Skull." She said coyly. He stuttered a little. _

_"H-Hi, S-Sakura-san." He blushed, and clenched his teeth.__**NO, NO, MUST RESIST THE LONG WHITE LEGS AND INCREDIBLY SHORT SKIRT!**____He screamed mentally. He looked down to the floor, but that was a big mistake. On the way down to the floor, his gaze stopped at her skirt._

_She smiled, and tugged her skirt a little longer, knowing that he was looking there. With great resolve, he tugged his gaze away. Skull heard a sigh from her, and the next thing he knew, he was pushed so hard that he stumbled backwards, sitting on a desk. She climbed into his lap at the speed of lightning._

_She made to fall off backwards, and on instinct he pulled her closer so she wouldn't fall and hurt herself. Sakura giggled. Heat rose to his cheeks as he realized their position.__**NOT GOOD, I REPEAT, NOT GOOD! THE GREAT SKULL-SAMA SHALL SINK DOWN TO THOSE LOWLY LIFE FORMS THAT CHEAT ON THEIR GIRLFRIENDS IF THIS GOES ON!**__He shrieked inside his head._

_"U-Um, S-Sakura-san?" He stammered. "I-I should be going now,-" She silenced him with a finger to his lips. _

_"I like you." She said clearly, smiling flirtatiously. He gulped. He was a teen, and his hormones were super high and this needed to stop before it went too far and he wouldn't be able to-_

_He sucked in a breath when she did something very intimate. "Sa-Sakura-san! The great Skull-sama cannot do this! I have a girlfriend!" She frowned. _

_"Don't mention her. She's nothing." She continued to do that… intimate thing. His breath hitched a little more._

_"Se-Seriously? Why me?" He gasped out as she continued. He did not like this at all. She giggled. _

_"Because you're funny, and cute, and down to earth. You're the only one who doesn't hit on me like all those other dumb jocks. I want someone who is humble, funny, and kind."_ _Suddenly she pressed her lips to his. His eyes widened in surprise. She shoved her tongue into his mouth and-_

_He pulled her closer, his hormones taking over completely. At the back of his mind he knew he shouldn't be doing this, but he wasn't thinking straight anymore. Suddenly the door opened, but he didn't notice. He was too busy kissing Sakura back, too busy pulling her closer so that there was no space in between them, too busy-_

_"__No.__" A harsh, ragged whisper floated to him. He flinched at the anguish in the voice. His eyes snapped open as he suddenly remembered who he was, and who the voice belonged to. He yanked himself back, pushing the clingy girl back._

_"S-Skull?" She whined, sounding out of breath. He shoved her off, and ran towards the door, which was ajar having been flung open. He heard fading footsteps. He tore down the hallway, following the sound of fading footsteps._

_He caught a glimpse of purple. "Viper! Viper!" He called. She was at a dead end. He breath out in relief, hoping that he would be able to explain everything. She kept on running, and he followed. She jumped at the wall, and used the wall to propel herself over Skull's head._

_Too late to stop, he crashed painfully into the wall. She kept on running. He moaned, but got up, his body protesting. He needed to explain. He couldn't let this break them apart, he liked her, and he liked her__**a lot.**____He liked her monotone, her sarcastic wit, and her ability to annoy the hell out of people._

_He ran outside, but she was already gone. He called her, but the most surprising thing happened. He heard her ringtone coming from a trashcan. Skull peered down the bin, and found her phone in there, the screen still on and the caller ID picture flashing._

_He reached down, and picked it up, his phone still pressed to his ear and her phone in his hand. He stared at the picture. It was a picture of Skull with his mouth full of cake, and Viper in the background, laughing one of her rare laughs. His caller ID was named: 'Pick up, or the Great Skull-sama will hurt you.'_

_He clenched his teeth, but decided to call her little brother using her phone. "'Lo, this is Fran." Fran answered. Skull spoke quickly. "Fran, I need to talk to Viper, this is important, I-" The kid interrupted him in a dead monotone._

_"Sorry, creepy stalker, but my sis isn't available, we're leaving soon, and we're going now. So you can just cancel this number, we're leavin' the country. Got to go, creepy stalker, bye."_

_Skull was stunned as the line went dead. He threw his own phone to the wall, making it smash into pieces._

_"Dammit!"_

_+End of Flashback+_

Skull sighed sadly as he remembered what happened. He didn't blame her. He was such a stupid, reckless, inconsiderable idiot.

_***K*H*R***_

Luche smiled at the scene in front of her. Reborn was scolding Tsuna, and teaching him a new technique for the competition. They were at Yamamoto's dojo.

"Dame-Tsuna, can't you get this right? Jump, and kick out both legs at the same time!"

"But I can't!" Tsuna wailed from his spot on the floor. "It's toooooooo much, Reborn! Give me a break!" Reborn twitched, and stroked Leon, his chameleon. He reached into his pockets, and threw a pair of mittens to Tsuna. They were white with the number '27' sewn on it.

"E-Eh?" He said, looking at the mittens. Reborn reached into his pocket again and threw a pair of headphones and a box at him. The headphones were red and resembled fire. They also had the number '27' on it.

"They're a gift for you. The in the box are battle contacts, they're wired to the headphones to give you advice and help you fight. The gloves are called X-gloves; they morph into metal-like gloves that'll start on fire when your dying will starts.

"Take these. They'll get your dying will started." Reborn said, and threw a box of pills to Tsuna, who looked bewildered.

"Wait. Metal gloves? Dying will? _Start a fire_?" The boy looked scared. Luche was interested, so she leaned forward to listen to the conversation more clearly.

"Dame-Tsuna, you're dying will is something inside of you. It's basically a fire that'll help you fight in self-defence. If you know how to use these gloves with various different techniques, then you'll be able to move quickly and hit harder. Once you get the hang of it and are in your Hyper Dying Will mode, your intuition will come in, and you'll be able to predict your opponents' moves if you are ever attacked." Reborn's onyx eyes narrowed a little.

"Plus, I want to see you beat the crap out of Collonello."

Tsuna gulped nervously. Reborn glared. "Swallow the pill, Dame-Tsuna." The boy opened the box and swallowed one. Immediately a flame burst out on Tsuna's forehead and his caramel eyes turned orange. His eyes were serious as they looked coolly at Reborn.

"Reborn. What do I do now?" He said, his voice a little deeper from his sudden growth. Reborn smirked.

"Hmph. Verde is indeed an impressive scientist. Well, put those headphones and contacts on, Tsuna, so we can link them together and test them out." Luche raised her eyebrows. Tsuna's Hyper Dying Will inside of him was indeed, impressive. Reborn suddenly lunged at Tsuna, who twisted his face at the last second, Reborn's fist coming clean past his face. Tsuna put his left hand under Reborn's arm, and his right on top.

The boy then snapped both of them downwards, causing Reborn's hand arm to be immobile. He tried to flip Reborn over, but the man pulled back. He took out a stun gun and shot it at Tsuna.

But suddenly Tsuna wasn't there; only a flame lingering in the air for a split second remained.

Tsuna suddenly appeared behind Reborn, kind of floating. His mittens turned into metal gloves with an X engraved in them. They were alight with an orange flame, just like the flame on Tsuna's forehead. Reborn's eyes widened as he sensed Tsuna behind him.

"!"

The boy swung a kick at Reborn's head, who whipped around and blocked it with his gun at the last second. The man skidded backwards. The brunette landed on his feet, and put his hands behind him. There was a burst of flames behind him, and the brunette disappeared once more.

Luche smiled serenely as she figured it out. The flames were boosting the boy to where he wanted to be. Those flames were real flames too; she could feel the heat emitting from the gloves. However, they didn't seem to be burning the boy.

The green-haired woman smiled. "What great potential you have, Sawada Tsunayoshi," She said, looking at the two males fighting, their movements so quick they were blurred. "You'll astound all your opponents, will you not?"

_*** All credits to my close friend Terryl Wilson who made this up to entertain me in Science class.**_

_**(1) Used the last name from the Skullduggery Pleasant series. I thought it fit with Verde.**_

_**(2) It means 'the greatest' in Italian.**_

_**(3) It means 'tough' in Italian.**_

_**(4) It means 'eagle' in Italian.**_

_**I'm finally doneeeeeeeee! I hope this was good, I didn't really like it. I wanted to put in more of the Arcobaleno cuz they're just that awesome, and I didn't talk about them that much. Anyhoo, I read a fanfic about Mammon and Skull, and it just made me fall in love with that pair, which is why I've decided to write about them.**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Disclaimers: I do not own KHR, Romeo and Juliet, and etc. I OWN NOTHING.**_

Tsuna went to school, moaning slightly at his protesting body. Dying Will Mode was painful. He met up with Gokudera and Yamamoto, who, for once, weren't fighting. They were talking solemnly to each other.

"Hi Gokudera-kun, Yamamoto, what's up?" He said, looking at them. They both turned to look at him solemnly. "Tsuna, something's really wrong." The brunette cocked his head confusedly. "What's wrong?"

"Collonello took off yesterday, and never came back. Lal is out looking for him, but they still haven't found him. Along with that, have you seen Hibari around here? He doesn't come to school anymore." Yamamoto said seriously.

Gokudera nodded. "Hibari not coming to school is like aliens not existing."

"Really? Hibari-san not here?" Tsuna frowned. Something was up. He creased his brows as a flash of purple obscured his sight for a second. He blinked to clear his vision.

"Tenth? You look confused." Gokudera said worriedly. The brunette tried to smile reassuringly, but failed.

His intuition was telling him something about Hibari. And it involved something purple. He frowned, thinking. "Oi. Tsuna, you ok?" The baseball star said, patting his head. "Maybe you should go to the nurse."

"N-No, I'm fine, it's just that a feeling in my gut tells me that Hibari is avoiding something… purple." Tsuna trailed off lamely, realizing how stupid it sounded. Gokudera lighted up.

"D'you think that he's been taken away by purple UMAs and being dissected at this very moment!" The silver-headed Italian looked as if Christmas had come early. Tsuna anime-fell, and Yamamoto laughed.

"Ahahaha! You sure like aliens don't you?" He smiled widely, before a light bulb popped over his head. "Ne, Tsuna, you don't think that maybe Hibari is avoiding Chrome?"

Now that was a thought. Chrome was very noticeable by her purple hair. He had a feeling it was right. "I… think you might be right, Yamamoto. I think that he just might be avoiding Chrome."

"Now who's avoiding my sister?"

Everyone jumped, and turned to see the blank face that belonged to Fran Nebbia. "Hi Fran! Bel!" Yamamoto said cheerily. "Where's Chrome? Still at home?" Fran shook his head blankly.

"She's on the way. She had to do something." Then he turned to Tsuna again. "Who's avoiding my sister?"

The doe-eyed boy stammered. "I-Um- no- no-one." He stuttered, mentally slapping himself for such a bad lie. Fran raised an eyebrow. Bel stepped up, and brandished a knife.

"Come on, spit it out, peasant! The prince demands to know. Ushishishi, spill it, or I'll slice your throat."

Tsuna screamed. "HIEEEEEEE!" Gokudera stepped up, lighter flashing.

"Take a step towards the Tenth, and I'll blow you up!" He growled.

The blonde grinned maniacally. "I'd like to see you try! Ushsishishi!" He threw a knife to Gokudera, who ducked, the knife whizzing over his head. He straightened up, his eyes flashing. "You're gonna pay." He snarled, and slipped out dynamite and lit it.

Tsuna 'HIEEE' ed again at the sight, scared of being blown up. "G-Gokudera-kun!"

"Ahahaha! Fireworks! I love 'em!" burbled Yamamoto happily. The silver-headed boy paid no attention, and lit them quickly before tossing them at the prince.

The blond grinned, and sliced off the burning ends before they could explode. "Ushishishi. You're going to have to do better than that, peasant." He giggled, waving his knife around like a conductor. "You're never gonna beat me like this!" He sang. Gokudera lunged, and the both of them wrestled on the ground, dust floating up in the air.

"U-Um, what's going on?" A timid voice piped up from behind Tsuna. Everyone froze before turning to look at Tsuna. He hurriedly stepped aside to reveal Chrome behind him.

"Hi Chrome." Fran said flatly, before he glared at Bel and Gokudera, whose hands were still at each other's throats. They quickly let of each other and stood up, brushing themselves off, still sending deathly glares at each other.

"Wha-what's going on?" She said hesitantly, seeing all of them shift awkwardly. Suddenly she was glomped by Mukuro.

"My cute Chrome! There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" He chirped.

She blushed a little, and smiled. Mukuro looked at them, but flinched at the dead look that Tsuna gave him. He was confused, but ignored it. "Chrome, this man Reborn came in, and gave me a weird earring thingy, but then he told me it was for self-defense! He said it depended on how much resolve I had to fight. And I'm training with it today! I'm so excited! Lal even said that I can use my trident!"

Chrome giggled a little at how childish he was. Tsuna blinked. "Wait, Reborn gave you dying will earrings?" Mukuro turned to him.

"Earring," He corrected. "He gave me one. But you're right; it was about the dying will something about resolve and all. I can't wait to use it." Mukuro smirked. Then he cocked his head curiously. "But how do you know this man Reborn?"

Tsuna shrugged. "He's my home tutor. Spanner made the dying will things for the whole class, I think, if you got it."

"The Tenth is right! I got a storm belt, and loads of dynamite! Reborn-san said that I was better fighting mid-range." Gokudera spoke importantly, nodding.

Yamamoto grinned, and nodded too. "I got a rain necklace which runs on resolve. My katana has dying will flames on it. And I heard that Basil and big brother got them too, Basil has a boomerang and big brother got boxing gloves."

"Hmm. Practice today is going to be interesting today." Mukuro smirked, already hyped. Tsuna shook his head.

"I don't know, unless Lal-sensei finds Collonello-sensei, I don't think that there will be a practice today." The pineapple nodded, but was called away by Aria-sensei. Tsuna watched him go quietly, before taking out his phone and started texting. Gokudera was curious, but resisted the urge to ask.

"Oi, Tsuna, who're texting?" Yamamoto said, staring. Tsuna had never been the type to text in front of friends.

The Italian glared. "Don't pry into the Tenth's personal life!" Tsuna laughed softly, and sent the text.

"Don't worry, it was nothing important, I just needed to do something." Out of the corner of his eye, Tsuna watched Mukuro start, apologize to Aria, and read his text. Tsuna smiled sadly as he saw Mukuro read it, but it was necessary.

Mukuro's face drained of color.

_Chrome is going to die if you stay with her._

_***K*H*R***_

"Dammit, Collonello, pick up the phone already!" Lal hissed, gripping the steering wheel tightly. _I'm sorry, but this number is not available at the mo-_ Lal threw her phone to the back of her car. "Dammit."

She drove around, trying to think of where he could have gone. Suddenly her phone beeped, signaling a text. She sighed irritably, and stopped the car, reaching back to get her phone. She peered at the text.

_9 Minutes, kora. Hurry up._

She didn't understand.

Lal was starting to get worried. Nine minutes. Nine minutes of something. What was going on? She thought frantically, squeezing the steering wheel. Then it came to her.

_Something Squared_. (1)

The restaurant that they always ate at after practice and it was the restaurant that they had lunch at when they were at school. They used to compete with each other who could scarf down the chili pepper special the fastest without breaking down in to tears. The record was by Collonello, finishing it in three minutes. Because the place was called _Something Squared_, they therefore nicknamed the place, 'Nine Minutes', or just 'nine'.

As in, three squared.

"_Be there in Nine Minutes, kora!"_

"_See ya in Nine, kora!"_

People always thought that they were talking about time, but it wasn't. It was sort of a code for them.

She stamped down on the pedal, and drove to Nine. She walked in, and saw Collonello sitting at a table by the window, looking despondent. She walked over to him and sat down on the other end. He didn't acknowledge her.

"Collonello." She said. He didn't say anything, but stared out the window, holding his drink in his hand. "Collonello." She said firmly. "Listen to me." Collonello slowly turned his head to look at her, but his eyes were dead.

Emotionless.

She didn't let her fear show, but continued to talk in a soothing, calm voice. "Collonello. This isn't like you. Get over whatever it is, and feel better." She said, looking straight into his eyes. He didn't reply. She tried again.

"Collo-"

"Ne, Lal?" He interrupted her quietly, his eyes darting away. "What are you thinking of right now?" He stared at the drink in his hands. She was confused.

"Huh?"

"What are you thinking of right now?" He asked again, and looked into her eyes again. Lal felt naked, as if her was tearing down her protective walls and staring right into her mind, reading all of her hidden thoughts, secrets, and desires.

"I'm thinking of what on earth could be bothering you to this extent." She said. He nodded, and went back to looking out the window. She felt anger rising within her. He spoke before she could say anything though.

"I'm such a pathetic, disgusting coward."

She blinked. "What?" He turned to look at her.

"Yes, you heard me; I'm a coward, not even able to do what I wanted to do ever since I was a kid." She shook her heard confidently.

"No. You're not a coward." His eyes seemed to burn with something that she couldn't lay her finger on.

"Collo-"

"I'm a weakling, and you know it." He snapped, looking at her. "So don't worry, you don't need to beat the cowardice out of me. I'm leaving, so you won't need to worry about it anymore." He said. Her heart fluttered down to her stomach.

"What?" Her voice tried to come out strong, but it came out in a soft whisper. This couldn't happen. She loved him. She left for the military so she could train and help him, not be a burden to him like any other girls.

He didn't seem to care that she had left, laughing and pretending nothing had happened. Lal swallowed. He wasn't a coward. She was. Even after being in the military, she was scared to death of the fact that he might leave.

"You're not a weakling." She said, gripping her pants tightly. "You're not. I'm the chicken. I'm the idiot for not being able to do what I want." She said softly. He looked emotionless.

He let out a flat laugh. "Yeah, sure, kora. Whatever, I need to go and get out of this hellhole." He stood up, slapped bill on the table, and strode out. She stood up and followed.

"Collonello. Listen."

"What's there to listen to, kora?" He said, stopping in front of his car. She felt anger rise up inside of her once again. She turned him around and slapped him hard.

"You idiot!" She yelled, her voice echoing throughout the parking lot. **Don't leave me**. She cried in her heart. **Please don't leave me.**

She pulled him down and pressed her lips against his; her arms wrapping themselves tightly around his neck. **Please, please, don't leave me.** She squeezed her eyes shut, barely feeling tears run down her face. Suddenly she realized that he was as stiff as a statue.

She pulled back abruptly, her hand covering her mouth, and fled the scene. The wind dried her tear-stained cheeks. She got into her car and drove off quickly. She was an idiot for letting it go. If he was unhappy here, then she should let him leave. Lal was so selfish. She went back home, parked the car, and cried.

_***K*H*R***_

Collonello stood there, shocked. Lal had kissed him. He had felt the tears on her face, her lips.

He touched his lips gingerly. Was that her first kiss? It seemed like it. He stood there dumbly, before he jolted himself into action. He was such an idiot. He called Lal, but of course she didn't pick up. Damn. He drove to her house, where her car was there. He sighed. Good.

He knocked on the door, where Lal appeared, composed. "Collonello." She said. "What're you do-"

"I love you, kora."

He said it quickly, wanting to say it before she slammed the door shut in his face. She blinked. "I love you." He said again, confident. "And I know you love me too, kora." Red slowly but surely rose to her face. She slammed the door shut, but he stuck his foot in so the door smashed itself to his foot.

Pain exploded in his foot, but he ignored it, and shoved the door open. "Lal. Stop denying it, kora." She shook her head quickly, and stepped back. She looked away from him. He knew that she was scared.

Scared of him leaving.

He had realized that when she had kissed him in the parking lot. "I'm not going to leave." He said quietly. She stiffened, and he stepped forward. "Lal."

She looked down at her feet as he walked closer until they were right in front of each other. He slowly stooped down, and leaned in so that their lips were just brushing each other's. "Lal," He whispered, their lips a centimeter apart. "I don't know for sure, kora."

So the woman leaned in the last centimeter. Their lips touched and stayed there. He grinned into the kiss. After a while they pulled away, and he chuckled softly. "Your first kiss? Kora." She turned as red as a tomato, but shook her head. He cocked his head, curious.

"Second."

He grinned, remembering the one in the parking lot. "Ha, you're too cute, Lal. Kora." He teased gently, and leaned in again.

Lal shut her eyes, blushed, but kissed him back anyway.

_***K*H*R***_

"Nufufufu. Really, brother? This is going to be so easy." He chuckled maniacally, his red eye glinting in the dark. "Oh, revenge is so very sweet." He sighed happily, looking at the photo he held in his hands. He then leaned forward to examine his chess board, the pieces arranged.

He leaned chin on his hand, and stared at the board, thinking. "How are we going to get you?" He murmured, looking over the chess pieces.

"Spade? Someone's here to see you." Spade raised an eyebrow, and straightened up. "Nufu. I wonder who it is. Let them in, won't you, Byakuran?" He asked in a sweet voice. Byakuran nodded, still smiling, and left the room.

He came back with a slightly chubby man came in, his jet black hair mussed. He hadn't shaved; dark gray hair coming out on his chin in stubbles. He bowed to the man on the couch.

"Nufufufu. Kirai Dokuro, the infamous drug dealer and information broker. Welcome, what brings you here?" Spade chuckled, smirking.

"Daemon Spade, I presume?" Kirai said, his voice steady, although his hands trembled. Spade nodded, wondering why he was here. "Spade, I came here for my side of the deal." He said. Spade nodded graciously.

"Of course. It was your information that broke me out of that terrible Vendicare prison."

"Well, I want revenge." He said, his fear leaving him. "I gave you the info of how to get out of jail undetected, and you promised me a favor. Now I need it." He said, staring straight into Spade's different colored eyes.

Spade smirked. "Nufufu. I'm game. Who is it, may I ask? It would be a tad bit hard to look for someone we do not know." Kirai grinned.

"My daughter, Chrome Dokuro." Spade threw his head back and laughed, his laughter echoing scarily around the room.

"NUHAHAHAHA! She was already on my list." He chuckled, calming down. Kirai raised a questioning eyebrow. "Well, I wanted revenge on my dear little brother and his friends. Here, this is his picture." The blue-haired man held up a picture he managed to take.

Kirai's eyes widened. He shook a finger at the picture. "That was the man that attacked me! He attacked me with-uh- what was his name…" He trailed off, thinking. Then it came to him.

"He said he was the head of the Disciplinary Committee, Hibari Kyoya!" Spade grinned. This becoming so much more interesting.

"Nufufufu. Thank you, Kirai Dokuro-san. This has become a lot more entertaining for me." He smirked, and his henchmen shifted uncomfortably. "Well, the chess pieces have started to move, Mukuro." He rubbed his fingers together thoughtfully, before picking up a chess piece and moving it forward a block.

He chortled happily, and pulled out his phone. He snapped his open, and speed dialed it. "Nufufufu, Birds, I'm going to have you scout something out for me."

{Anything, sir.} Birds replied on the other end.

"Get your birds and start following Chrome Dokuro, Hibari Kyoya, and my dear sweet brother."

{Yes sir.}

He snapped his phone shut, and grinned. He moved another chess piece. "Nufu. This is going to be fun. We're closing in on you, Mukuro-chan!" He sang happily. He threw up the photo in his hand, and grabbed Byakuran and began dancing. "Nufufufu! This is going to be fun!"

The photo of a small girl with purple hair standing next to a certain pineapple head fluttered to the floor. Spade smiled slyly, his eyes glittering threateningly in the dark. "Now, Mukuro, what will you do now?"

_***K*H*R***_

Chrome shivered in English class, a feeling of unease overwhelming her for a moment. She looked around to see if anyone saw, but she saw Tsuna shift uncomfortably too, a look of apprehension on his face.

"Now, for act 1 scene 4. Who's willing to be Romeo?" Shouichi asked the class. Chrome didn't bother raising her hand. After the disaster in the last class, Shouichi had been forced to abandon the 'epic story' project. Instead now they were reading Romeo and Juliet.

Basil raised his hand enthusiastically. He loved Shakespeare, and was getting a good grade in this because he was so used to Elizabethan English. "Thy wisheth to haveth the part of Benvolio!" He said heartily.

Kyoko was given the part for Juliet. Tsuna tentatively raised his hand. "I-I can be Romeo, if you want." He said shyly, darting a look towards Kyoko, who smiled sweetly back at him.

Shouichi nodded, and looked around. "Fran, why don't you be Mercutio? But remember; pour your soul into the words. Mercutio is a baddest, meanest, dog on the street. Perfect for you," He said, smiling.

Chrome didn't know how the teacher managed to think that Fran and Mercutio could be alike. They were two opposites of each other. She shrugged, having given up on how teachers thought. They began acting out scene four. It was the part where Benvolio, Mercutio, and Romeo were preparing themselves to sneak into the Capulets' party.

"-**To the ears. Come, we burn daylight, ho!**" Fran monotoned. Shouichi frowned.

"**Nay, that's not s**-"

"Stop." Shouichi said, looking at Fran. Everyone put down their books. "Fran, you're Mercutio, and excited to be sneaking into a party! Your enemy's party at that! So raise your voice! Poor your soul into it!" The English teacher said excitedly.

"**HO**!" Fran monotoned loudly. People sniggered. Tsuna sweat-dropped. Gokudera grinned, and gave Fran a thumb up, who stared blankly back in return. Chrome sighed, and leaned her head against her hand. This was going to kill her. Not only was it Shakespeare, but it was also stupid and pointless. Juliet and Romeo were about fourteen, for god's sake. Then they fell in love, and killed themselves to be with the other.

**Well, that was stupid.** Chrome thought. **If someone important died, you should not kill yourself, but live life ****for**** them. **She sighed, and daydreamed.

After English, she made her way towards Dino's room. Dino smiled warmly at them, and gestured to a group of new kids standing at the door.

"Class, I'd like all of you to meet our new transfer students. Guys, why don't you introduce yourselves." He grinned at them. A boy with reddish hair and weird looking eyes stepped forward shyly.

"I-I'm Kozato Enma. Nice to meet you." He said softly.

One by one, they introduced themselves till the only girl in the group was left. She stepped forward, her black hair tied into a neat ponytail, her eyes holding something that Chrome recognized as power.

Most of the boys blushed when she stepped forward because of her busty breasts. Chrome blinked as the girl's eyes landed on hers. "Adelheid. Nice to meet you all." She said in a soft, but confident voice. The energy emitting from her made everyone sit up straight and tall, as if she'd yelled, "Shut up or drop down and give me ten!"

Then class continued normally. After geometry, Chrome packed her bags and went to the roof for her free. She wanted to apologize to Cloud Person and make things normal again. She climbed up the steps and opened the door. "Cloud Pers-haa?" She blinked as she saw Cloud Person and Adelheid there on the roof together.

He turned to look at her, his eagle eyes glinting. "Herbivore." He acknowledged stiffly. Adelheid looked disgruntled that she was there.

"U-Um, hi, just wanted a breath of fresh air." She stammered, scared.

He sighed, and ran his fingers through his hair. "Oi, herbivore," He turned to Adelheid. "Go before I bite you to death." Adelheid smirked, but tossed her head and left, Chrome's shoulders and hers barely brushing as they passed each other.

"What is it?" Hibari asked irritably. She stiffened, before walking over. "I wanted to apologize." He looked incredulous.

"For what?" She looked down.

"A-at Yuni's house. What happened…" She trailed off. Hibari blinked before nodding.

"It wasn't your fault." He muttered. She caught the look of pain that flashed across his face again. She was so confused.

"Ok, but can you please tell me why you're in pain? You always look hurt." She said gently, not wanting to push. Hibari stared at her, but as he opened his mouth to speak, a sudden chirping interrupted him.

"Hibari! Hibari!" Hibird flew down into the said boy's hair, settling himself comfortably. Chrome giggled at the sight. The small, fluffy, yellow bird stared at her suspiciously.

"Herbivore, this is Hibird." Hibari said after a few minutes of silence. She stifled a laugh.

"Hibird?" She asked him questioningly. He blushed, and opened his mouth to retort. "I like it though." She said before he could do anything. Hibird began singing the Namimori anthem. Her eye opened wide in surprise. Hibari smiled softly at her owlishness, if that was a word.

"Wow, you can speak! Say, 'Chrome'!" She said excitedly like a little kid. Hibird chirped out a "Chrome!" and ruffled his feathers proudly. Chrome turned to Hibari excitedly. "Look, Cloud Person! He can say my name!"

The skylark blushed, not revealing that he had actually taught Hibird her name weeks ago. The small girl continued to play with Hibird for a while. Suddenly Hibari stood up, holding his tonfas threateningly. She jumped, startled. "C-Cloud-?"

"Who's there? I'll bite you to death." He growled, pointing his tonfa into the corner of the roof. A dark figure shuffled forward a little before something silver flew towards Chrome. She shut her eyes and heard it bounce of something metal. Chrome opened her eyes to see Hibari crouching in front of her defensively, his tonfas crossed in front of him.

A knife had bounced off his tonfas and lodged itself into the wall.

"Cowardly herbivore," He growled, straightening up and settling into a stance. "Come out and face me so I can bite you to death." He lunged again, but another knife whisked itself towards him. He dodged, before realizing Chrome was behind him. He whipped around, his eyes wide with alarm.

"!"

She let out a small 'meep!' and leapt aside, a shining knife quivering in the floor where she had just been standing. He made to move towards her, but she shook her head.

Chrome took out her Desert Eagle. "I'm fine, you should go." She said quietly, her violet eye never leaving the dark corner. He hesitated, but nodded, and continued towards the intruder. The knife flew towards Chrome, but she shot it and it fell to the floor, bouncing off the tiles and this time wedged itself on the floor a little way over.

Suddenly several knives came out in different directions, but it looked as if the attacker wasn't even aiming at them. They all embedded themselves into the concrete, quivering maliciously.

She blinked in surprise as she got a good look at them.

It was a knife that looked just like Bel's. Hibari lunged at the figure, but suddenly he froze. "C-Cloud Person?" She cried out in surprise. "What are you doing?"

Blood slid down his cheek and she gasped. By tilting her head slightly to the side, she saw wires. _Wires_.

"Ushesheshe. Too easy."

Anger bubbled up inside of her. Easy? This was Cloud Person, who defeated anyone he wanted to! This was just a handicap. As if Hibari read her thoughts, he growled. Chrome desperately tilted her head to the side to see where the wires ended.

"Got it." She muttered, and shot all the knives that had jammed themselves into the concrete. They flew out, the wires going slack. However, while the prefect shook his head a little to clear his vision of the little dust clouds that had flown up because of Chrome's bullets, the figure leaped away.

"Stupid herbivore." He muttered, and brushed himself off. He turned to her but suddenly stumbled. She ran towards him and knelt down, pulling out a handkerchief. She wiped the blood off his face, before noticing a long gash on his right leg.

She had always hated wires.

"Are you ok, Cloud Person?" She asked worriedly. "I'll go get Lussaria-san and get you patched up." She said. He looked up at her, his eyes kind of glazed over. "Cloud Person?" She said worriedly.

He shook his head dumbly. "No. No Luss." He mumbled. Chrome was worried, so she slung his arm over her shoulder to support him. Then she opened the door and went down the stair, him dripping blood down all the way.

She grunted, her small stature not helping at all. They slowly made their way to Lussaria's office. Chrome kicked the door instead of knocking. "Coming honeybunches!" Lussaria sang.

He opened the door and gasped. "Hibari-chan! What happened to you, dearie?" He cried dramatically, both hands on his cheeks. He ushered them in, Chrome sweating profusely.

"Lussaria-san… can you help me?" She groaned, her body trembling.

"My, my, Chrome-chan, sorry. I forgot!" Together they placed him on the bed and the school nurse wrapped up the prefect's leg and slapped a plaster on his cheek. The small girl sat on the chair next to his bed.

"Lussaria-san, I think that something's wrong with him. I don't think that he could lose that much blood in such a short time." She said, looking over him anxiously. The nurse stopped moving, and turned to her.

He walked over, and poked Hibari in the stomach. "Yo! Wake up! Little lady is here waiting for you!" Hibari opened an eye blearily.

"Shut up." He muttered, and fell back asleep. Chrome was getting worried.

"I really think we should call poison control or something." She said, staring at Hibari's pale face. He opened his eyes and stared at her. She breathed out in relief while Luss danced away to call the hospital. "Cloud Person, we're going to help you now." She said, relieved.

"Shut up." He said, glaring at her. "I don't need help." She giggled a little at his stubbornness. She leaned forward, took hold of both his cheeks, and pulled. He glared, his aura turning murderous.

"Lef go uff me." He said. She smiled a little. "Not until you agree to get help." She said, pinching his puffy cheeks harder. "You have really soft cheeks." She said, staring. "Like a baby's. It's so cute!" She grinned, and began pulling.

He slapped her hands away and rubbed his sore cheeks. "Stupid herbivore," He muttered. "Hands to yourself." Chrome leaned in again, and pinching his cheeks again. So instead of fighting, the skylark took ahold of her cheeks.

"Haa? Clouf Herson? Leggo uf me!" She said, and pinched him harder. In retaliation, he pinched her back, until it turned into a pinching war.

"Hibari Kyoya." A voice said from the door. Both of them turned to the new voice simultaneously, their hands still on each other's cheeks.

It was Adelheid.

She put her hands on her hips and walked over to them. Chrome quickly let go of his cheeks, and bowed. "I'll go now." She said quietly, and left.

Hibari glared at her. She just had to ruin that moment with Chrome. "What, herbivore?" He said irritably. She smirked, and leaned in. He refused to back away, to show his disgust at the sl-

"Hibari Kyoya," She said, looking over him. A tic appeared on him. Was she actually one of those aggressive female herbivores? He growled. "What? And zip up your uniform; it's disgusting to see so much cleavage." He snapped, pissed that she wasn't respecting the school code.

She ignored him and leaned in even closer, and whispered into his ear. "Your father has a message for you." His heart plummeted to the ground. She pulled back, and sneered at him. He glared.

"What the hell do you want, herbivore?" He snarled. Adelheid crossed her arms, tossing her ponytail back. Her boobs looked as if they were going to burst. He nearly gagged at the sight in disgust.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I'm not telling you the message. Go to your father yourself, coward." He growled, and leapt at her, his tonfas out.

CLANG!

He blinked in surprise. She held a fan out to block his tonfa. A feral grin split across his face. "Well, this is going to be fun. I can play with a sack of meat right to warm up and find myself a _real _opponent."

She flushed red with anger at his pun. "Sack of meat?" Adelheid growled. "You bastard." She kicked, but he countered it and smashed his tonfa into her fan so hard she fell onto the ground.

He hovered over her, his tonfa at her throat. "Herbivore, you tell me your message now, or you're going to go home with that face ruined." She glared, not showing fear. The prefect proceeded to slam a tonfa into the ground next to her face. Adelheid flinched.

He grinned. She suddenly lashed out, and clawed his face. Blood dripped down the other side of his face. Great. Now he had cuts on both cheeks. He grabbed hold of both her hands, and pinned them down.

That movement caused her blouse to open even more, and he was disgusted. **Gross.** **Now I really want to kill her. **He shook his head quickly to get his thoughts back to threatening her rationally instead of killing her.

"Listen here, you tell me or-"

"HIEEEEEEEE! HIBARI-SAN, WHAT ON EARTH ARE YOU DOING TO HER?" a voice shrieked from the doorway. Realizing how wrong this looked, he cursed.

"Shit."

_***K*H*R***_

Chrome munched on her sandwich thoughtfully, not paying attention to the conversation around her.

"-he was on top of her!"

"-Hope she's ok."

"-bari-san? Really?"

She snapped back. "Huh?" Tsuna turned to look at her, waving his hands wildly.

"Hibari-san was trying to do something to Adelheid-san!" He said frantically, his caramel eyes wide.

She crinkled her brow. "Huh? Do what?" Tsuna dropped his voice, and everyone else leaned in to listen.

"He was trying to _rape_ her!" He said. "I walked in on him, and he glared at me, so I ran to get Luss. So they were separated." She was still confused.

"Rape?" Yamamoto grinned at her innocence. He opened his mouth to speak.

"It's when someone tries to-" Gokudera and Tsuna lunged at him and clapped their hands over his mouth. At the same moment, Basil and Fuuta simultaneously leaned over and placed their hands over Chrome's ears. All four of them glared at Yamamoto.

"H-Huh?" She said, confused. Everyone but Yamamoto sweat-dropped.

"Hahahaha…" Tsuna laughed weakly. "It's nothing, Chrome-chan."

She stared at him blankly, and motioned towards her ears. Basil and Fuuta quickly let go. Tsuna repeated what he said. She nodded hesitantly, and then slowly stood up. "I'm going to go empty my tray now."

They nodded, and she walked away, dumping her tray out. As she roamed the hallways, she heard a chuckle from behind her. She started, and whipped around. A man with glasses, a hat, and a beard stood behind her, grinning creepily.

"Well, aren't you cute?" He leered, and took a step forward. She shrank back, her hand trailing to her bag where she kept her gun. He extended a limp hand out.

"I'm Julie Katou." He said, grinning. She nodded, and took another step back. "Aw, don't be scared, I won't hurt you," He crooned. "You're such a cutie I couldn't resist in dropping in to say hi."

Chrome swallowed again, and fled the scene. "Oh, bye now!" He called at her retreating back. He smirked, and stroked his chin thoughtfully before turning and walking away from the school.

Once he was out of the school and out of her sight, he grabbed ahold of his hair firmly and yanked it off, revealing blue hair. Then he took off his glasses and took his contacts off. He ripped the beard off and smiled.

"Nufu. Cuter than I thought."

_***K*H*R***_

Chrome panted harshly as the coaches called the session to an end. Everyone gathered round and looked expectantly at them. Chrome eyed the two coaches. They seemed to be a lot closer.

"I have an announcement," began Lal, hands on hips, eyes looking over everybody. But Collonello interrupted.

"We're together now, kora!" He chirped, and hugged Lal enthusiastically. The whole class smiled. The woman turned red, and pushed him off.

"Shut up! That wasn't the announcement, and they weren't supposed to know!" She said, glaring. He shrugged, still grinning.

"Doesn't matter now, does it? Kora." He said sweetly.

She growled, face still red, but turned and faced the class anyway. "We're testing you next week. Be prepared. After that, we're probably going to move on to another topic." She said, nodding. Tsuna perked up.

"What is it?" Lal smiled slyly.

"Never mind, you guys don't need to know." Collonello interrupted her.

"It's cooking, kora!" Collonello said excitedly. "And we're going on an exotic trip to test out new foods and camp!" All the boys drooped, except for Yamamoto, who already knew how to make sushi. Nevertheless, they perked up when they heard they got to skip school. Lal responded to this by whacking him on the head. Collonello yelped. She grinned smugly.

"Serves you right, blabbermouth."

"Oh well, at least I'm a lovable blabbermouth, kora."

"Shut up!"

"Shutting, kora."

"Don't sass me!"

"Wasn't sassing you, kora."

"You were!"

"Wasn't!"

"Was!"

"Wasn't!"

Chrome sighed, and shook her head. They needed help.

_***K*H*R***_

After the test, which all of them had passed with flying colors, Mukuro found himself placing his bags on a trolley, and turning to help Chrome with her bags. He picked them up and put them on his trolley. "Thanks, Mukuro-san." She said gratefully as he placed her bags on top of his.

"No problem." He smiled, and wheeled the trolley along. Bel grinned beside him, also pushing his own cart. "Ushishishi, the prince is excited to go to Rio!" He giggled, and pushed the trolley along, having slept over at Chrome's house along with Mukuro. They all had left the house together and went to school.

They were heading to Rio to cook and camp.

They were driven to the airport, everyone talking excitedly. Chrome, still sleepy, slept on Mukuro's shoulder, and they both slept on the way to the airport.

Once they arrived, Lal them pills. "You guys had to pay for this. It's a pill for malaria; there are a lot of mosquitoes in Rio." Everyone nodded, and downed the pill. However, Mukuro didn't get a pill. Chrome asked him about it, and he shrugged. He grinned, and laughed.

"Kufufu, guess who's getting malaria?" He sang. "Me!" Everyone sweat-dropped as he danced away. Lal scolded him.

"Stop, go and get a pill, mosquitos can transfer malaria to you!"

He ignored her, and proceeded to sing 'The Mosquito Song'(2). "Oh mosquito…. Bite me! As my senses tell me. Why my ass look like tomato? That's why must fight- the mosquitoooo!" He snickered with Bel as everyone anime-fell.

Lal smacked them both. "Shut up! Come on, let's check in." Everyone boarded the plane and immediately fell asleep. They slept the whole way to Rio. Once they landed, they went to their apartment and unpacked their bags. Chrome shared a room with Lal, while the boys shared a room, and Collonello had one to himself.

Somebody knocked on her door, and she opened it. But nobody was there. She looked around, and heard a click. She blinked, and heard a click again. Chrome shut the door, and breathed out.

**Stalker.** She thought, and shivered. Lal came out of the shower, toweling her hair dry. "Dokuro, go get some rest." She nodded, and flopped onto her bed, and fell asleep.

Outside, a bird flew away, a camera strapped to his back.

_Click._

_***K*H*R***_

Mukuro opened his eyes blearily, and he rubbed his eyes as Collonello kicked him awake.

"Wake up, kora. Today we're going to go food-shopping." He turned to Tsuna and yanked the covers off of him. "Oi, Sawada, get up, kora! Lal's going to kill you if you don't." One by one, the boys blearily. Basil was already up along with Ryohei; they had woken up for a morning jog around the block.

After the boys dressed, they went outside with Collonello to meet up with Chrome and Lal. Chrome was wearing a simple white shirt and dark purple pants. Chrome had a tote bag slung over her shoulder. Lal was wearing a dark red tank top and black khakis. They headed down for breakfast, and over breakfast, Lal and Collonello gave some more info about what they were going to make and what they had to buy.

They split into two groups, and decided what they were going to cook. Mukuro was all-out preparing to make something with pineapples, but everyone quickly shot him down, knowing how obsessive he was about pineapples. They decided to make fried noodles with sushi- not the greatest combo, but they had cravings for both. The dessert would be strawberry fresh cream cake. Gokudera, sulking because he didn't like neither shopping nor cooking, asked why they had to learn how to cook.

"If you're going to get a girl or guy, and he/she falls sick, how are you going to eat? What's more important, how are_ they_ going to eat? Instant noodles aren't very healthy for a sick person." Lal snapped at him. Gokudera nodded, understanding her logic and looking sheepish. Mukuro rolled his eyes and shoved his hands into his pockets. He was wearing dark green pants with a camouflage-patterned shirt. The pineapple walked around lazily in the stores with Chrome, before he stiffened. Chrome didn't notice, she was too busy looking at the shopping list.

His mismatched eyes narrowed at an innocent looking canary that was perched outside the store. A canary was tweeting innocently, but somehow, his gut feeling told him to rip that bird to shreds. It kept on staring eerily at Chrome. He glanced back at Chrome, who was immersed in reading the list, muttering about what type of oil she needed to buy. Mukuro turned to look back at the bird as his red eye spun to the kanji number 'six'.

"_Die,_" He hissed, and the bird stiffened, and dropped dead. His red eye whirled back to normal just as Chrome called for him. He turned to Chrome, smiling as if nothing happened. "Yes, my cute Chrome?" She looked over the list, her eye narrowed and brows furrowed in confusion.

"Mukuro-san, what type of oil should we use? They just said two bottles of oil, but there are many different types of oil." She looked cute when she was confused. She looked like a lost kitten. He patted her head soothingly.

"Let's see now, I know that olive oil is pretty good; and truffle oil is awesome, but it's really expensive. Hmm, vegetable oil, canola oil, corn oil, sunflower oil… Oya, oya, there's so many choices, kufu. Let's grab a random one, shall we? Pick a number," He commanded, smiling. She nodded, and looked thoughtful.

"Six," She answered. He started at the beginning of the aisle and counted down the different types of oils. When he reached the number six, he pulled it out.

"Hmm. Sunflower oil." Well. He didn't even know that sunflowers _could_ produce oil. Oh well. The pineapple jumped when he heard Chrome speak.

"'Sunflower oil is low in saturated fat and high in Vitamin E. Many food manufacturers know the health benefits of sunflower oil and recommend it to use it in foods such as chips.'" She smiled at his dumbfounded expression. "Fran has this weird thing for cooking. He's really good at it, and he makes sure that everything is healthy for us because both of us are really small." He grinned.

"Little one? Really? I should invite him over to Kokuyo sometimes to cook for us, kufufufu." He smirked. She also smiled. "Why did you pick the number six?" he asked out of curiosity. She smiled.

"Your last name has the Japanese number 'six' in it. You know, 'Roku' is six in Japanese, right?" He smiled, and they walked to the cashier, Mukuro pushing the cart and Chrome checking things off the list. He looked around again for any suspicious birds. And he found another. When he was sure that Chrome was engrossed with counting money, he glared at the bird, also making this one drop dead.

Chrome came back. He made his eye change back to normal, his smile a little strained. Chrome came back with the trolley, everything in bags. "Okay, Mukuro-san, let's go." She peered up at him anxiously. "Mukuro-san? Are you okay? You don't look too good." He smiled forcefully, worried about these weird birds that seemed to be stalking his Chrome.

"It's nothing Chrome. Oya, oya, look at the time, we should get going…" He led her out of the store, and turned back to where the dead bird lay. And he blinked when he saw it glint. His eyes narrowed.

A camera was strapped onto its back.

_**Owarri! I'm soooo sorry for this being so late! I was chosen to go on a service trip to Dominican Republic to teach kids English! I was part of a program called "Outreach 360". It's an amazing program and I totally recommend it to you guys. Don't even hesitate, just go! It's an experience you guys will never forget, I promise. **_

_**Not a real restaurant. Just something I made up in my head in math class and I wrote it down on my hand to remember it. **_

_**Go search it up on . I do not own this song. It's hilarious, watch the one with the cartoons. It's a guy singing with a Singaporean accent. **_

_**Well, I'm sorry for this being sooooooo late, but I already told you, I was doing some good to the world! Kufufufu. Anyhoo, please stay tuned! Mukuro is being so weird! And the creepy stalker birds! I wonder what's going to happen now, Kufufufu. And I will absolutely try to update ASAP! Thanks again, and please review! XD**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Disclaimers: I do not own KHR**_

Fran stared. Instead of Shouichi, there was a new teacher standing in front of the class. He had a black suit on, a chameleon on his shoulder, and a fedora pulled over his eyes.

It was Reborn.

He glared over everyone, his aura murderous.

"Books out. Now." He said softly, his onyx black eyes glaring at everyone from under his fedora. Everyone scrambled to get their books. He walked slowly in front of the room, prowling. Fran's eyes narrowed. How Tuna endured this, he had no idea.

"Well, today we shall continue Shakespeare's _Romeo and Juliet_. Who can tell me where you left off?" Kyoko raised up her hand. "Yes?"

"We're at the part where Juliet is on the balcony, talking with Romeo." He nodded, stroking Leon.

"Take out your pens, and begin annotating-independently." Everyone took out their pens, but Mochida slowly raised a trembling hand. "Yes?"

"I-I don't have a pen. Can I borrow one?" He stammered.

"You don't have a pen? Reckless fool." Reborn said softly, his eyes glinting. "Go and get one." He said quietly, danger clear in his voice. Mochida stood up to go outside the classroom.

"So, may I go out and get a pen, sensei?" The man glared.

"Yeah, get out, the door's always open. Question is: do you want to come back?" Mochida squeaked, and ran out. Reborn sighed and glared at the class. "What're you staring at, get back to work."

The class bent their heads down and continued working. Fran rolled his eyes but started to work anyway. The next period, since they had a double period, a shadow loomed over Fran. He looked up to see Reborn.

"Yes?"

Reborn said nothing but picked up Fran's copy of _Romeo and Juliet._ "Is it okay?" Fran monotoned, a little worried, but not showing it.

"You speak as if I'm fascinated with how unproductive you have been this last period." Reborn slammed the book down. He leaned forward, and Fran felt everyone staring. He was emotionless as he stared back at the terrifying teacher. "Thank you for proving what a terrible student you are. Now, get on with your work before I rip your arm off." Reborn said, pulling his fedora even lower over his eyes.

Suddenly, laughter erupted from the door, and everyone turned to look. A boy with dark brown hair and a happy smile walked in, laughing.

"Hi, I'm Manzoku Shite (1), and I'm new here! Is this grade nine's English class?" He chirped happily. Reborn turned to him and addressed him coolly.

"Apparently, you're not ready," He said icily. He strode forward to scrutinize the poor boy, who seemed unaffected by the cold greeting. "I am going to kill you." He said, looking him up and down.

"Heh. Sure." He grinned, and held out a hand. He spoke with a slight accent which Fran couldn't decide what accent it was. He dropped his arm after Reborn refused to shake it. The teacher stepped aside, and Manzoku skipped in happily, and settled down beside Fran, who groaned internally.

Reborn walked to the front of the class, and everyone stiffened. "Well, class is nearly over. Write a response to the chapter that you are reading now, and I want everyone to use a dark gray binder. It's my class, and it's my rules." He glared. Manzoku raised his hand. "Don't point at me, it's rude. Speak with dignity, like an adult. There is no room for slobbering, bawling little babies." Reborn snapped. Manzoku laughed sheepishly.

"Well, what's your name, sensei? I don't know your name." the teacher glared and pulled his fedora even lower over his eyes.

"I am Reborn-sensei." The brunette nodded happily.

"Great! I hope we can be friends or close to being something like friends, Reborn-sensei!" He chirped. Reborn stared at him, observing him coolly.

"Hope is a dangerous comfort." Reborn said softly, and the bell rang, signaling the end of class. "Now get out of my class."

_***K*H*R***_

Fran stormed into his house, slamming the door behind him. Mammon turned around from the computer. "What's wrong?" Fran muttered a few curses, although his face was emotionless. Tossing his bag onto the floor and pouting a little, he spoke. "Stupid Reborn's our new English teacher. He's so damn stupid and strict. How Tuna stands him I have no idea." Mammon looked slightly amused.

"That's the most I've heard you speak in a sentence. Reborn always had that effect on me too. He always pissed me off." She went back to the computer. "Well, go do your homework; I'm still looking for a new job." The boy paused.

"Huh? I thought you already got a job." She nodded stiffly.

"I did. But I didn't like it, so I quit." Fran raised a skeptical eyebrow and crossed his arms.

"On the first day?" Mammon said nothing as the doorbell rang. She stood up quickly to avoid answering.

"I'll answer; you go to your room to do your homework." Fran sighed a little, but went upstairs obediently, dragging his bag behind him. "Hello?" Mammon opened the door and froze. Skull stood there awkwardly. He looked cute in his dark blue jeans and a crumpled button-up shit that wasn't tucked into his jeans. He looked away from her shyly.

"Hey."

She swallowed hard. His voice was deeper, and he grew a lot taller. "What do you want?" She snapped, her hand on the door, ready to slam it shut in his face. He had his hands in his pockets, his hair ruffled and sticking up everywhere. His eyes slid back to look at her, and he took a deep breath.

"C-Can I come in, Viper?" She tensed up.

"Don't you dare call me with such familiarity again, you bastard. I'm not Viper," She hissed. "Never call me that again." He blinked.

"T-Then what should I call you?" She hesitated.

"Mammon." She replied and began closing the door. "Now you can leave." He grasped the door, preventing her from shutting it.

"Wait, please," He pleaded. "Can I come in? I just want to talk." Mammon opened her mouth to snap at him but was interrupted by a voice behind her.

"Mammon-nee, just let him come in so he can finish talking quickly." Fran stood behind her, looking bored. Skull blinked stupidly but beamed at him.

"I like your logic, kid!" Fran glared as one can glare emotionlessly.

"One: don't call me 'kid'. Two: Line- you are WAY over it." Skull sweat-dropped.

"Yes Ma'am." He croaked. Fran threw a notebook at him. "Ow!"

"I'm not a girl. Now come on in already," Fran sighed tiredly. As Skull walked in, Mammon ruffled Fran's hair affectionately.

"Nice, Fran." He shrugged.

"Being with Reborn helps. I just stole one of his lines from class." He whispered back. "I know how to handle this if he gets out of line." Mammon nodded gratefully, and brother and sister sat on the opposite side of the couch Skull was sitting on in the living room.

"What do you want?" Mammon said snappishly, wanting to finish this so she could go up to her room and create a voodoo of Skull and torture it as painfully as she could.

"I-I just wanted to a-apologize." He said, looking at her. She was impassive as she raised a hidden eyebrow.

"For what?" She wanted to hear him, to see him admit his mistake.

"For letting her kiss me." Anger boiled up inside of her. Fran looked a little bewildered.

"You-!" She would have jumped on him if Fran didn't hold her back. Skull looked stupefied.

"W-What?" She snarled at his response.

"'What?' you ask me," She spat. "You don't even have the decency to admit that you were cheating on me!" a light bulb popped over Fran's head, and he glared icily at the other man.

"But I didn't! I never even cheated on you once, she just jumped onto me!" Mammon trembled with anger and spoke through gritted teeth.

"Fran, go to your room." Fran complied, leaving with one last icy glare at Skull. Mammon turned back to Skull. "Right, but if she jumped on you, why didn't you push her off? She was a great deal weaker than you, but I find both of you guys making out, your arms wrapped around each other like pythons!"

He at least had the grace to look at little ashamed. "Believe me, I would've, but I don't know why I didn't." She noticed his eyebrows furrow together, as they always did when he lied.

"You're lying." She spat. "You're lying to me even now, when are you going to stop?" Her voice escalated. He suddenly deflated, rubbing a tired hand over his eyes.

"Oh, Viper," He said softly. She tensed up, bristling. "Don't call me-"

"Viper, Mammon, whatever." He interrupted, sounding drained. "I guess I did it because I was scared." She was confused.

"Scared of what?" He sighed, looking at her- really looking at her this time. She shifted uncomfortably.

"I was scared that you were thinking of breaking up with me. I wanted to forget about that thought, but it was planted in my mind. I couldn't stop thinking about it. So when that note was in my locker, it was the distraction I was waiting for.

"I went there, and I first I was hesitant with meeting her, and changed my mind half-way to the classroom. I was just going to tell her that I needed to leave, and that was that." He sighed once more. "But she jumped onto me, and I gave in to my instincts. I regretted it, and I still do."

"Why were you scared?"

Skull closed his eyes. "I was scared that you'd leave with Verde. He had a crush on you, and I knew it. I was scared that you'd go to him, because you had the same interests and everything. I knew he was trying."

"_Verde_?" She said incredulously. She stood up angrily. "Bullshit! Verde hated my guts!" He shook his head, standing up also.

"He liked the angry, fire-spitting side of you. He liked you and he didn't want you to act differently towards him. Why else do you think he keeps showing off his grades to you, and why else do you think that you're the first person he runs to when he achieves something he wants to?"

"_Mammon, I got a 102% on the test. Jealous?" He smirked at her. "No." She said stubbornly, but she growled inwardly, having only a 98%._

"_I just figured out how to make a robot that makes green tea! But I doubt that a person with your intellect could possibly figure that out." He said smugly, showing her the robot. "Fudge off." She snapped back. "I can do it too; it's just that I don't like green tea." She lied._

"_Dissecting things are the best. The beauty of dissection is often overlooked." Verde told her softly. "You're crazy." She snapped, although she inwardly agreed._

Mammon tried to stay angry. He had cheated on her. "And yet, you gave into your instincts." He suddenly seemed to snap, walking towards her. She walked backwards til her back met the wall. He caged her between the wall and him. His eyes burned with anger, and his face was serious, shadowed.

She swallowed. "Get off of me." He didn't. His hands were on either side of her head, and he was leaning over her threateningly. She was standing her back to the wall, with no way to escape.

"You idiot. Don't you realize how much I worried?" She opened her mouth to argue, but he pressed his lips against hers, cutting her off. She shut her eyes, her heart jolting at the lost memory. **Don't cry. Don't CRY. DON'T CRY. DON'T CRY! **Tears slid down her face anyway, her sobs muffled by his lips.

He broke off, and she slapped him, hard. He looked at the ground. "Leave." She demanded, tears still on her face. "Leave, you bastard! Did you know how hurt I was?" She yelled suddenly. He didn't move.

"Did you realize how desperate I was?" He countered softly. Her heart ached. "I was waiting for at least a letter, searching for you for so long, I was desperate. I was trying to track you down, until the end I finally concluded that you had left my life for good." He suddenly rested his head on her shoulder, his hands still on either side of her head. Mammon stiffened.

"When I finally came to that conclusion, I wasn't sure what reality was anymore." He muttered into her shoulder. Her eyes went wide when she felt wetness on her shoulder. His hands slowly slid down to her waist and hugged her. Mammon hesitantly wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

"I tried to date other girls, but I wasn't interested." He mumbled against her shoulder, sounding resigned. "I just wanted you."

"Skull." She said quietly. He didn't reply. "Skull." She repeated quietly. He gave a mumbled 'Hn' to show that he was listening. She sighed, and turned her head and kissed the side of his cheek where she could reach. His head shot up.

"Hubwah?" He said bewilderedly. She sighed again, and leaned in again to press her lips against his cheek again.

"Thank you." She whispered against his cheek, her lips moving against his cheek. She leaned back and smiled. He froze, before his face slowly broke out into a grin and he hugged her tightly. Then he lifted her up and swung her around happily, cheering like a little child.

"Yayyyyyyy! My Viper-sorry-Mammon is back with meeeeeeeeeeee!" a tic appeared on her face as well as a blush.

"Let go!" She struggled against him. He hugged her tighter, and then set her down. Fran ran downstairs, a look of panic on his face.

"What's going on? I swear, you hurt Mammon-nee, I'll cut off your balls and shove them down your th-" He broke off when he saw happiness on both of their faces. He quickly rearranged his face till it was emotionless again.

"I'm going back upstairs. Reborn assigned a shitload of homework." He walked quickly upstairs. Mammon turned back to Skull.

"I'll see you later; Fran tends to break out into hives when he sees lovey-dovey stuff." Skull nodded, but then held up a hand as he searched his pockets for something. Mammon was mystified.

"Here," Skull said, handing over a phone with a picture of Skull and Mammon together on the screen. Mammon's eyes widened as she remembered the phone. "I kept it after I found it in the trashcan, hoping that one day I could give it back to you." She smiled a rare smile.

"Thanks. But how did you know I threw it away?" He smiled sheepishly.

"I tried to call you, and by coincidence, the trashcan next to me started ringing."

"So you decided to search the trashcan?" Mammon asked incredulously. Skull had the decency to look ashamed.

"Yeah." Mammon rolled her eyes.

"Nice." She said sarcastically. Skull shrugged.

"At least the pictures weren't lost, right?" Mammon blushed a little. "Ku, you're too cute." He grinned, and was surprised by a pair of warm lips on his cheek. He broke out into a warm smile, and hugged her tightly, burying his face into her shoulder.

"Oh Mammon. How did I ever live without you?" She smacked him on the head. "What?"

"Enough with the corny lines."

_***K*H*R***_

Fran grumbled as he entered the Multi-Media lab for Technology class. There, a new teacher waited too. What was with all the new teachers all of a sudden? He was chubby, and his hair was receding. His fat bulged over the swivel chair he was sitting on. He turned around, the chair creaking dangerously. "Hi, I'm Gianni!" He chirped happily, and he waved at the class.

Everyone mumbled a 'hi' back, wary of the new teacher. Manzoku, however, called out a happy 'hi' and grinned. Gianni grinned back, and stood up, the chair squeaking in relief from the load. The balding man waddled around the front of the class, explaining about how to Photoshop stuff. Everyone nodded, and set to work.

As Fran opened the window, he chose a picture of himself with Mammon, Chrome, and himself. This picture Mammon had kept and sent it to him because they were at the zoo, and at the moment the camera clicked, a frog jumped onto Fran, making Fran look ridiculous. He was leaning backwards, his eyes wide with panic and hands flailing. Chrome was laughing, and Mammon was also leaning back a little, for she was standing next to Fran.

He grinned evilly as he began to Photoshop. Gianni waddled about in front, checking how people were doing and answering questions. Fran paid no attention to Gianni, but suddenly a giant, shiny, peach-colored thingy came into view on the corner of his eye. Fran flinched, and gave a monotonous yell. It was Gianni's balding head.

"Oh, it's you, Gianni-sensei." He monotoned, calming down. The said man looked hurt.

"Did I scare you? I'm sorry, I didn't think I was that scary."

"Have you ever looked into a mirror?" Fran mumbled under his breath. Gianni didn't hear, fortunately. Suddenly Byakuran walked in, opening the door with his usual bag of marshmallows in hand.

"Oh, hi Gianni! What're you doin' to Fran-kun?" He asked, his fox grin securely in place. Before Gianni could speak, Fran butted in.

"She was trying to scare me by suddenly popping out of nowhere." Gianni frowned.

"Hey! Did you hear that Byakuran? He just called me a she!" He pouted as Byakuran smothered a giggle. "Just because I have more breast than some girls doesn't make me one! This is blasphemy!" He said, pointing a chubby finger at Fran accusingly. "This is totally blasphemous! Yes, I have moobs, but you have no right to make me a she-man! Not that I have anything against she-males, but I am not one!"

"Ne, Gianni, calm down. I'm sure Fran-kun meant no harm." Byakuran tried to say soothingly, before he erupted into laughter. "Hahahaha! Blasphemy indeed!" He shoved a marshmallow into his mouth. The bald man continued shouting nonsense at Fran, who looked bored.

"Gianni, how about I give him one of my special detentions?" Fran's face paled a little, but Byakuran grinned. If he was able to make the emotionless Fran pale, it meant he was scared. Really scared. Gianni thought a while, before nodding.

"Okay, I agree." Fran opened his mouth to protest.

"But I didn't mean to call you a 'she'!" Byakuran shrugged.

"Sucks for you," Fran muttered angrily under his breath. "Well, see me after school, Fran-kun." The boy mumbled a 'hn' and went back to Photo shopping. Byakuran grinned, shoved another marshmallow into his mouth, and sauntered away.

Fran was furious. Not only was BFG (Big Fat Gianni- Yes, Fran could've come up with a better nickname, but he was too mad) a big fat crybaby, he had to deal with Reborn _and _Byakuran's special detentions. Fate hated him so much. As the bell rang, he stormed off to English. Joy.

Reborn was waiting for them inside. "Hello. Take out your notebooks. Today we're not doing _Romeo and Juliet _but we are doing some Grammar." Everyone sat there dumbly.

Reborn looked around at the groggy faces, because that was what Technology class did to you. Plus it was still early in the morning. "Don't you just love that morning feeling? Your face all sticky and zombie-like, while you don't understand a single thing being said?" He smile turned threatening. "_Take. Out. Your. Books." _Everyone scrambled to get their books out. Fran took his book out moodily, murderous aura radiating from him.

Manzoku was smiling and taking out his notebook and doodling. He was the replica of Yamamoto. Reborn glared at him before speaking. "Laughing and smiling get you nowhere in life." He spat at him. The brunette just grinned, and continued doodling. After a few minutes of teaching, Manzoku began singing 'Gucci Gucci'.

Reborn whipped around from writing on the chalkboard, and threw a piece of chalk at him. The brunette dodged. "There is no time for wayward songs about fashion in my class!" The brunette nodded meekly, still smiling, but stopped singing.

Reborn completed his writing, and told Manzoku to write on to board where the commas were supposed to be and tell what type of clause it was. "See if Gucci saves you now." Reborn said smugly as the boy stood in front of the class dumbly.

Surprisingly, Manzoku laughed, and held up both hands. "Okay, you win, Reborn-sensei!" Reborn nodded, and Manzoku sauntered back to his seat. He plopped down and stared at the board as Reborn asked each of the kids to come up.

"Ne, Reborn-sensei?" Manzoku asked suddenly.

"What?" Reborn answered irritably. The boy tilted his head, contemplating his question.

"If I shake an egg before cracking it open, will I be doing the first step of making scrambled eggs?" the teacher glared at him as the class started giggling.

"Intellectual level sinks below sea/C level." Reborn countered smoothly. "I cannot believe what effects it has on this class by that simple sentence." Manzoku frowned.

"But, Sensei, really, will I be making the first step of making scrambled eggs? I'm just trying to make a point here, and I'm trying to save people time! If it is, then-!" The teacher held up a hand.

"There is nothing you can say to redeem this conversation. It's without redemption." Reborn snapped, his onyx black eyes glittering with anger. "And if you cannot keep your mouth shut, then I suggest you leave my class."

Manzoku shut up, sulking. Fran smirked.

"What're you laughing about?" Reborn glared from the front of the class. "Since you find this so funny, I'm assigning the whole class an essay to write about _Romeo and Juliet _for homework."

Crap.

_***K*H*R***_

Tsuna tied his apron on, and poured the sunflower oil onto the pan. They had started cooking in their hotel, which the manager had graciously allowed them to use the kitchen for educational purposes. However, before they could come in, Lal had looked over them sternly and addressed all of them.

"Listen here, you cross a line, and I swear to god you're dismissed." She glared, and even Bel's smile was wiped clean off; they liked the special class, and it was a special privilege for them. "Okay, let's go." Lal said, and they marched into the kitchen. Everyone washed their hands, and they assigned special duties for everyone. Well, Chrome did anyway, seeing that she was probably the most logical.

"U-Um, why me?" She asked nervously when all the boys turned to look expectantly at her. Collonello grinned.

"It's because you're logical, kora! Oh, and me and Lal are going to be the judges, ok?" The blonde teacher had given a thumb up and a cheeky grin, before he headed out with Lal. Chrome had swallowed nervously, and turned to look at the boys.

"Okay, um, Yamamoto-san, you can make the sushi because you're the best at it," She began, and glanced down at the list. "Bel-san, you can mix and fry the noodles with Tsuna. Gokudera and Basil, you guys should boil the vegetables and the noodles before we combine them in the pan." One by one, the boys went to do their duty. Ryohei was to wash the pots and pans, but he didn't mind it. He didn't want to do something as complex as cooking, which required him to think and read.

"I shall was everything to the extreme!" He told Chrome energetically, and raced off. Mukuro and Chrome were going to help each other make the dessert.

Yamamoto, as expected, finished making sushi in no time. Bel, seeing Gokudera drain the noodles, put them in the pan and began stir-frying them. The boys scurried around, helping one another. Tsuna looked around, humming happily as he stirred the noodles with Bel. Everything was so calm and happy, he was content with this.

He sighed. This was really fun. He sneaked a glance to Chrome and Mukuro, who looked like he was having a lot of fun. They had already put the pan full of batter into the oven and now they only had to wait for 35-45 minutes. Chrome was mixing the strawberries with sugar to let the juices come out, but Mukuro kept on stealing strawberries. In the end, Chrome slapped his hand away playfully and threatened, "If you don't stop eating the strawberries, I won't get to eat my favorite dessert!"

Mukuro ceased the stealing immediately.

Tsuna stifled a laugh at the scene, as he put the finished noodles onto a big plate.

After a long time, they were finally done.

They carried out their plates to Collonello and Lal, who sat there, waiting for them. They lifted food onto their own plates, for the team had put the cooked food on large plates so everyone had to grab stuff for themselves. Collonello and Lal looked pleasantly surprised when they tasted it.

"Good job," Lal acknowledged. "Now your neither your future partner nor you will starve." Every beamed and dug in. soon, there was nothing left. Mukuro carried out the strawberry cake, and everyone 'ooh'ed. He set it down, and Chrome sliced the cake and gave it out to whoever wanted it.

Soon, everyone was rubbing their stomach, and they were 'full to the extreme', as Ryohei had put it. Tsuna yawned, and stretched.

"I think I'm going into a food coma," He yawned once more, stretching like a cat, his eyelids dropping. Gokudera suddenly started yelling. His eyes snapped open, and he turned to look at what was going on.

"Hibari, you bastard, what the hell are you doing here?" The silver-headed teen snapped at the newcomer. Tsuna gaped. What was Hibari doing here? The prefect looked unaffected, and sat himself at the farthest end away from the group. Then he put a slice of cake on his own plate. Before the Italian could yell once more, he responded.

"The camouflage herbivore asked me to be a part of the class. I simply came later because my flight was delayed." The skylark answered smoothly, and put a bit of cake in his mouth. Everyone else was silent, still not taking it in.

"What," He snarled after a while, "Are you herbivores looking at?"

Mukuro laughed eerily. "Kufufufu, Hibari-kun, why didn't you come with us then?" the said prefect twitched.

"I hate crowding." He responded. "My helicopter had broken down, so I had Tetsu fix it." Tsuna sweat dropped. This guy had his own helicopter? Good god. When he finished, Lal stood up to make announcements.

"Alright, light's out at ten, and we have about three hours of free time. We have three suggestions for you. One: stay in your rooms until lights out. Two: come with me to the movies; we might watch _Tower Heist_ or something like that. Three: go sightseeing with Collonello. Your choice," She said, ignoring the fact about Hibari's surprise appearance. "It's six o' clock right now; I expect you to use your time wisely. Whoever's coming with me, follow me." She strode outside.

Bel, Basil, Gokudera and Yamamoto followed her. The rest stayed back. Collonello grinned. "Yes! I have finally brought the number to a lucky number nine! What an auspicious number, kora!" He grinned happily at the remaining. "All of you guys want to go sightseeing? Kora." Everyone nodded, Hibari all the way at the back. The blonde teacher grinned.

"Let's go, kora!" they walked outside, the sky turning purple, red, and yellow. They went and ate some ice-cream, they really just wandered around. Tsuna blinked when he saw something. A canary. He smiled hugely; he loved birds. He had always thought they were so cute.

He saw Mukuro look at the canary, and he scowl ferociously. The bird dropped from its place on the tree and fell to the ground, quiet obviously dead. Tsuna swallowed nervously, and ran to the front of the group to Collonello.

Mukuro was scary.

_***K*H*R***_

Mukuro smiled with satisfaction when another canary dropped dead. What was up with these stalking canaries? His eyes darted back to Chrome, who was unaware of this. He gritted hi teeth. Perhaps this was what Tsunayoshi was warning about? A maniac stalking Chrome? He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

He was feeling a little tired from using his power.

His red eye was in fact, not the cause of Heterochromia Iridium. He remembered his maniac parents, who were scientists. Shutting his eyes, he tried to block out the memories. He hated them, and was glad that they had died from breathing too many chemicals. Astoundingly, they had given the mansion to him, even though they treated him like a guinea pig.

His eye was red because they had experimented on it. They had cut it open, tested it, and injected drugs into it. His once cobalt blue eye had bled into ruby, changing his pupil and giving him advanced abilities (he flat-out refused to call them powers; he hated superheroes). There were the six paths of reincarnation, and he had used the sixth path to kill the canaries. The sixth path had the ability to control and possess others; he had ordered the birds to die.

"Pineapple herbivore," Hibari spoke, interrupting his thoughts. His mismatched eyes snapped open. Turning to look at Hibari, he smirked.

"Kufufufu. Oya, oya, the little skylark wanting to talk to me? This world must be ending, Kufufufu." Amazingly, Hibari restrained himself, and he stepped forward. He glanced at Chrome, who was chatting to Tsuna.

"How did you do it?" He hissed, glaring. Mukuro blinked once, panic rising within him. The skylark had seen it? He suppressed the emotion, and asked innocently what he meant. The prefect hissed.

"How did you kill the birds?" He snarled. Mukuro's smile dropped.

"Kufufu, it seems that Kyoya has seen it~" He smirked, frantically thinking of a way to get out of this. He couldn't use the sixth path again, Chrome was turned towards him now; if he used it again, she would think it weird that Hibari was acting a little loony. The prefect's eyes narrowed.

"I won't tell," He said. Mukuro blinked. "I won't tell the herbivore. It's not my decision, and I won't sink down to the levels of the herbivores." The pineapple blinked once more, before relief blossomed in his heart. He sighed in relief.

"Thank you, Kyoya. She would hate me if she did know." He murmured, looking at her. The skylark said nothing, but had merely sniffed disdainfully and turned away. Mukuro opened his mouth to thank him again, before Hibari cut him off.

"Save it, omnivore. I don't want to hear it." He marched away, his head held high. Mukuro stared; his status had just risen from an herbivore to an omnivore. He was probably the first in living history to ever make it past the omnivore level. He slowly smiled, just as Chrome walked up to him, slipping her arm through his.

He looked down at her happy face, oblivious to the stalking canaries and his foul, festering secret that was rotting him from the inside out. Mukuro didn't want to taint her with his secret, as much as he just wanted to come clean.

No.

He would keep silent.

He would not tell her about his background.

He would keep her safe.

He hoped.

_***K*H*R***_

And as Mukuro hardened his resolution to stone, Hibari watched him vow silently to himself. The steel bluish-grey eyes knew what he was thinking, and the skylark approved of the other teen's rock-hard resolution. Nodding once, satisfied that Chrome was in good hands, he walked away from the group and back to the hotel, smiling grimly to himself.

She was happy.

She was safe.

She was Mukuro's.

_Not his._

_**(1) Means 'Happy' in Japanese. I think. I used google translate for this.**_

_**Well, that's it for now! I don't like this one that much, but its ok, right? RIGHT? REVIEWS APPRECIATED!**_

_**Anyhoo, please support the **__Invisiblechildren __**to HELP STOP KONY! HELP STOP JOSEPH KONY AND SAVE ALL THOSE KIDS IN UGANDA! CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE LIVING IN FEAR! LIKE THEM ON FACEBOOK, ON YOUTUBE, AND HELP SPREAD THE WORD!**_

_**Thanks for reading!**_


	10. Author's Note

_**Author's Note:**_

_**I know that you hate these types of notes (I do too) but this is to tell you guys what's going to happen. I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in a longggg time, but that's because I ran into a MEGA-SUPER-ULTRA-MAMMOTH-HUMONGOUS-DREADFUL **__**WRITER'S BLOCK**__**. Anyhoo, I'm going to update real soon, like in two days or so. And I have changed ALL the previous chapters because I didn't really like the 'Combustion Competition' thing too much because I felt like I was copying the 'Hunger Games'. I wasn't, but I felt like it. Even though I wrote this before I read the book and watched the movie, I still feel as if I'm copying it though. So I'm going to change the idea. Please re-read the old chapters if you have the time, and I will update really soon! Thank you ever so much for reading and sticking with me! Love you guys all.**_

_**-Manganime98 **_


	11. Chapter 10

_**Disclaimers: I do not own KHR. If I did, everything would be much more dramatic and romantic.**_

_**-Dedicated to **__**chquine-harvinellisse**_

Fran wandered up and down the corridors, grumpy that Reborn was _still_ here, and that Gianni was _still_ here, and that Chrome and the rest of the team were _still_ gone, and that everything-

Sucked.

Balls.

Fran just wanted for his little sister to come back; Mammon was happily working with Skull (whom he was watching, very, _very_, closely) so, as much as he hated to admit it- he was lonely. He had never realized how much time his stupid senpai and his sister took up. He walked around, moping, hoping desperately that they would come back from the trip soon.

He was so bored. When he walked home from school, he froze in front of his door.

It was left ajar.

He began to panic, but he forced it down along with the taste of bile in his mouth. Mammon could've just forgotten to shut the door. Nevertheless, he walked inside cautiously.

"Mammon-nee? You here?" He called out, immediately regretting it. He should've shut up and called her on her phone. A creak on the stairs, and then silence. He swallowed nervously, his mouth going dry. Then, his teal-green eyes went impossibly wide, and emotion filled them like never before; a wail building up in his throat.

"Mammon-nee!" He howled, running forward, dropping his bag. Mammon was lying on the floor, looking as if she was sleeping, aside from the fact that blood was pooled around her head.

And Skull was nowhere to be seen, that bastard.

He cradled her head gently, crying silently. "Mammon-nee," He moaned, rocking back and forth. "Mammon-nee," He groaned again, burying his face in her purple hair. He tore his jacket off, and wrapped her head in it, murmuring her name softly, trying to wake his sister up.

"Ngh… Fran?" She mumbled. Sighing in relief, he rested his forehead against her bangs. He closed his eyes. "Wha happn'd?"

"I don't know," He answered softly. Then Fran heard steps, and his eyes shot open; he whipped around towards the noise, and whipped out brass knuckles and slipped them on in an instant. He stood up and ran towards the sound, and punched the figure straight in the face. The trespasser's skin ripped with the force Fran had used.

The figure tumbled to the ground, and Fran kicked him as hard as he could, grunting with exertion. He smiled grimly when he heard the attacker groan in pain.

"S-Stop!" The man coughed out. "F-Fran, it's Skull!" Fran ignored him, and kicked him violently once again.

"You bastard, what the _hell_ did you do to my sister?" He snarled, and knelt down, grabbing the man by the collar and holding up the bloody brass knuckles to his face. Skull's eyes darkened and he kneed Fran in the side, grabbing ahold of both of Fran's arms, restraining them.

"Listen to me," He said, a little angrily, but urgently. "We need to get Mammon and get away from here, but first, you need to calm down, and-"

"The hell I will!" Fran yelled, and butted his face into Skull's. Skull let go, but stars exploded in Fran's vision. The younger one shook them off, shakily standing up. His vision swam, but he forced it down.

_Use your head, little one. Use your brains and not brawn._

He blinked once, then twice. Right. Mukuro's advice was coming back to him. He obviously couldn't overpower the older man; he was too big, and he obviously had some skill, judging by the force of the blow to his side.

_Draw him away, Ushishishi._

He blinked when he heard Bel's voice, but he did it nonetheless, running into the kitchen. Skull stood up and ran after him.

"No, Fran, we need to-!" Fran slammed the door shut and shoved a chair under the door. He cussed, whipping around frantically, trying to think.

_And Mammon was still out there._

Oh god. What was he going to do? And right on cue, the doorknob stopped jiggling. His breath hitched in his throat as the footsteps faded away. Oh god. The hardest choice in his life.

Save himself, or his sister?

Then suddenly, he heard the door behind him creak. Too late, he whipped around, and came face-to-face with a long knife that was pointed directly at his right eye. If he had walked forward, the knife would've stabbed him in the eye. His breath caught in his throat as he eyed the weapon and recognized his attacker.

"Oh no, you don't, Fran-kun~"

_***K*H*R***_

Bel started as his phone started ringing. He looked at it, and grinned- it was his Froggy. He had just gotten off the plane and he was walking through the airport with the other students in the Genus Specialis. He picked up, giggling like a maniac. Chrome shot him a knowing smile- she knew it was her brother/ friend. He snapped his phone open, grinning.

"Ushishi, how's my Froggy?" He giggled. "Missed me?" His eyes widened almost comically under his blonde bangs.

{Bel, help!} Fran shrieked into the phone. {Bel!} He screamed again loudly, panic loud and clear in his voice- and that was what scared Bel. He had never heard Froggy scream with emotion.

"Froggy? Froggy, what's wrong?" He yelled back into the phone, already running towards the exits, preparing to sprint back to Fran's house.

{Bel, help! They've come for- ack!} He heard the phone crackling- Fran must've dropped it on to the floor. Bel pressed the phone tightly to his ear. Chrome and Mukuro came running up, followed up by the rest of the class.

"Bel-san, what's wrong? What's wrong with my brother?" Chrome demanded worriedly, practically screaming in his face. Mukuro put a calming hand on her shoulder.

"Idiot prince, tell me right now, what is wrong with Little One?" He commanded the blonde, worry etched on his features. Bel's breath hitched a little more when he heard what was happening.

{Leave my sister alone, you fucking-guh!} a crunching sound, and Fran was silent.

{Shut up, pipsqueak.} Another voice muttered. {Guys, leave the kid and the adults. The one we want isn't here. Leave them.} Then a whiney nasally voice came on.

{But I just want to decorate them~ The boy's so pretty~ Can't I just have that one?} Bel froze, and sprinted towards the house, even though he dimly knew that it was futile. He faintly heard Mukuro and Chrome run after him.

{No,} the first one sighed exasperatedly. {You can't take the boy. But you can leave the message, I don't care. Just make sure you don't kill them.} The other laughed happily, but he was interrupted by another male's voice.

{D-Don't hurt them,} the male said weakly. Bel was running like never before, and then a car screeched behind him. The door opened, revealing a very determined-looking Lal.

"Get in," She said grimly. "And tell me where to go." Bel got in, issuing directions, Chrome and Mukuro clambering in behind him.

{You're first then.} The nasally guy giggled, and the male started screaming. Bel began to feel sick; he was listening to somebody torture another. {Let's see, let's do the woman next, shall we?} Bel heard him grunting, lugging something heavy. Bile rose in the prince's mouth.

{No! Don't touch her, take me!} Fran screamed in the background, suddenly coming to life. Bel's eyes widened. {Mammon-nee! NO! Let her go, you sick bastards, _vaffanculo__,_ get away from her, you figlio_ di troia__-_} Fran had begun cussing in a language that sounded very familiar to Bel.

Italian.

How did Fran know Italian? And by the sound of it, he was fluent. Suddenly, Fran started keening; the sound of it gave Bel goose bumps. {Mammon-nee!} Fran was wailing. {_V__affanculo_! Let go-!}

{Ku. You're next.} There was a sound of a scuffle, and Fran yelling his head off. Then Fran started screaming. Bel began yelling at Lal to hurry the fuck up; Froggy was getting hurt, and then- silence. And then Bel heard the most sickening sound he had ever heard in his life.

_Drip. Drip._

The phone slipped from numb fingers and clattered onto the floor of the car.

_***K*H*R***_

Lal must've broken at least ten traffic laws. And it was a miracle that she didn't get caught.

She blew past the red lights, went over the speed limit, and made about 5 illegal U-turns. She screeched to a stop outside of a neat looking house, but the students were out of the car before she could stop the car fully. Lal cussed, and jumped out, following Bel, who had his knives out.

He ran inside, yelling Fran's name, before he stopped dead. Dokuro followed him, and moaned, running forward.

"No!" The purple headed girl wailed. Bel knelt down beside 'Froggy', coughing at the smell of blood. Fran was lying on the low table in the living room, dripping blood onto the floor, teal green eyes staring sightlessly at the ceiling. Gagging at the copper smell, Lal knelt down beside Mammon, who seemed to be hurt the most. Lal almost couldn't believe how many Arcobaleno had moved here as well. It was as if all the Arcobaleno had been drawn to the same place or something. The teacher jumped when she heard a voice.

"M-Mammon…" She turned her head, and her chocolate orbs widened at the familiar person. The person was lying on his stomach, hand reaching out towards Lal and Mammon, his head up, showing the dark bags under his eyes and the always ruffled purple hair was ever so familiar to her.

"Skull! What the heck!" She squawked, forgetting that she needed to help the hurt people. "What are you doing here?" He glared at her for a second, one of the most unusual things that she had ever seen. Skull used to be so scared of her.

"H-Help… Mammon…" He murmured quietly, then his head drooped and he lay still. Lal blinked, remembering Mammon lying injured. She quickly turned and began doing first aid. She grimaced slightly at the wound: Two slashes across the woman's back and a nasty blow at the head. The head was bleeding, and somebody had carved the word 'Anybody in there?' on her forehead, and a smiley face on the woman's cheek.

Rokudo whipped out his phone and called for help, while Lal did first aid. She ordered everyone around, unfazed, because Lal used to be in the army. She had seen a lot worse. Rokudo snapped his phone shut, and hurriedly went to help Dokuro bandage Skull. Bel was quietly treating Fran, but the teacher knew he was furious and scared inside.

And then Lal's eyes opened wide.

Mammon's leg was cut at the knee, nearly all the way through. It was attached by only a little skin at the back. Bile rose in the woman's throat as she stared at her old friend's leg.

Then suddenly, Reborn drove up in a van, and out of the car came Hibari and Lussaria. Lal turned to look at Rokudo, who strode over to her, and pulled something that was sticking out from the bottom of Mammon's body. She blinked; she didn't notice that something was in there. Rokudo's eyes were sharp.

As she stared questioningly at him, he stared dully back.

"Later," He said simply, and turned around to help Reborn carry Skull into Reborn's car. Hibari stood by Dokuro, peering at her worriedly as she knelt on the floor, her eye wide and staring. Her outfit was stained with blood, her pale skin a stark contrast with the red liquid on her clothes and skin.

"Hey, herbivore," the skylark said softly, helping her up. "Let's go," She shook him off gently.

"I'm okay, Cloud Person," She said softly. She stared at her bloodstained hands. They began to shake, and her breath quickened as the petite girl looked around the room, which was stained with blood. Hibari arms quickly went around her.

"Herbivore. Calm down," He told her soothingly. Rokudo shot him a grateful look for comforting his girlfriend, and helped Lussaria carry Mammon into the car. Rokudo shut his eyes for a moment, grimacing at her leg. But then he mustered up his courage and picked the unconscious woman up. Lal went to Bel and picked Fran up, the boy's head lolling, his eyes still open. When everyone was inside, Reborn stamped on the pedal, and then they took off, tires screeching. Lal stared at the motionless teen, and got goose bumps; the teal-haired boy's sightless stare was unnerving.

Suddenly, Bel's hand came down on his face, and he slid his eyes shut. As the teacher looked up at the blonde, he said simply, "Froggy should close his eyes or they'll dry out." Lal nodded, and looked around the van.

Dokuro was wedged in the back between Rokudo and Hibari. Rokudo was strangely stand-offish, and Hibari was gripping the girl's hand comfortingly. Dokuro stared at the floor of the car, eye glazed over. Lussaria and Reborn were talking quietly in the front of the car. Lal heard only bits and pieces, and she was irritated. She was the other adult too, and one of the unconscious Arcobaleno. She wanted to hear Reborn's analyzing. Reborn had sharp eyes and impeccable intuition.

"… Vendice…" Lussaria murmured worriedly to Reborn. Reborn said nothing, and the nurse continued to babble nervously. "…Broken out… high-priority…" Reborn finally answered the rainbow nurse.

"..He's… Japan…" He muttered grimly.

Lal set her jaw when she was able to distinguish little bits and pieces. Something much bigger than a crazy robber or serial killer was going on, and she was going to find out whether Reborn wanted her to or not.

_***K*H*R***_

Chrome stood nervously in the waiting room in the hospital while Mammon, Fran, and Skull were in the surgery room. She breathed out shakily, remembering all that _blood_, her family's _blood_, was on her, staining her, and she was covered in blood and-

Her knees buckled, and Cloud Person caught her. "Herbivore," He said firmly. "Calm down." She allowed Hibari to lead her to a seat, and sat down. She wanted the pain to go away. She wanted someone to comfort her. She wanted Mukuro.

But he wasn't here.

He had left with Reborn as soon as they were in the hospital. Not even a small smile or a 'Kufu.' He just left. Chrome didn't know what to do. The untouchable Mukuro must've been as shaken up as she was. What was going on? She gripped her own arms, digging her nails into her skin. The purple-haired girl did not deserve to be sitting here, unscathed, while Fran and Mammon and Skull were undergoing surgery. She dug her nails in harder, feeling comforted that she was feeling pain, and- a warm hand grabbed her hands, restraining them. The girl blinked, and looked up at the prefect's face. She tried to pull her hands out of his.

"Stop," He said, his stare hardening. "The herbivore is not going to die; neither are the purple she-herbivore and the male herbivore." Chrome had a crazy desire to laugh at the way he put it. She smiled faintly at him.

"Okay," She said softly. Tiredness rushed over her as she allowed herself to relax, and she rested her head against the prefect's chest. Chrome sighed, burying her face in the soft fabric of his uniform, breathing in his clean, sweet smell of aftershave, a little tinge of Sakura, and the simple smell of Hibari. She closed her eye, and tears began to leak out. Grabbing his shirt with both hands, she fisted his shirt as she cried silently into his shirt.

Hibari stood there, strong and silent, and she slowly calmed down, his strength seeping into her. He patted her back awkwardly, unsure of how to deal with crying people. She giggled a little through her tears.

"What?" He scowled, hearing her laugh. She smiled in his shirt.

"Nothing," She murmured, feeling a little embarrassed that she had cried. They sat there silently, Chrome face still in his shirt while Hibari sat there, letting her stay there. After a while, she backed up, blushing a little.

"Sorry," She mumbled. "I got your shirt wet." He looked down, and turned away, indifferent.

"It doesn't matter," He sniffed, and leaned back against the walls, closing his eyes. "You should probably change your shirt, herbivore." He added. Chrome looked down at her stained clothes. She shrugged, not minding anymore. Fran, Mammon and Skull were going to pull through. If Cloud Person said so, then it was probably true.

She leaned back against the wall too, and drifted off to sleep almost immediately. Unconsciously, she snuggled up against Hibari, leaning against him. And Hibari opened his eyes when he felt her rest her head against his shoulder. The prefect smiled a little, and threaded his hand softly through hers.

And then he too, promptly fell asleep.

_***K*H*R***_

"What," Reborn snarled furiously, "Is the meaning of this?" He slammed his hand down on the table, causing Lussaria and Lal to jump. Mukuro glared back, unfazed.

"I don't know," he replied coldly, mismatched eyes glaring back at the onyx black ones. Reborn scowled.

"You do know," He said, calming down. "This is clearly your doing." The teen bit back a hiss.

"I already told you, that I don't _fucking_ know!" He snarled, anger bursting through his mask. "You think that's I'd attack Chrome's and Little One's family? I would never," He said frostily, eyes narrowing to slits, promising death.

Lal stepped in. "Reborn, he was with us the whole trip. It's impossible." Reborn whipped around at her, eyes flashing.

"Lal Mirch, you were not part of the Arcobaleno, nor were you part of the organization that looked over the Estraneo family. I suggest you _leave _unless you have anything useful to help us." The woman glared, and straightened up, snapping her head up as if she was still in the army.

"Well, I'm sorry to burst your bubble, _sir,_" She seethed. "But Mammon and Skull were my friends too. Rokudo is my student, and I expect to look after him. Do you have a problem?" They bristled angrily at each other. Lussaria stepped in.

"Honeybunches, do you know anyone who might want to hurt Chrome or-erm- Little One?" the rainbow nurse asked the pineapple soothingly. Mukuro twitched at the question and the sweet voice. However, he restrained himself from jumping up and killing the nurse.

"Chrome's father is the only one I can think of." He said levelly, trying to force back some calm so he could get out of Reborn's house and _think_. Lussaria nodded.

"Could you give us a name, dearie?" The teen counted to ten to calm down.

"Kirai Dokuro," He replied. He saw a wave of recognition at the name flash across Lussaria's face. Reborn and Lal stopped arguing. Lussaria drew back, glancing at Reborn.

"Kirai Dokuro, thirty-seven years old, the infamous information broker. Wanted for his dealings with the mafia and big-time criminals in more than twelve different countries," Reborn said, nodding. "Well, looks like we've got a bigger problem on our hands, don't we? I never knew he had a kid."

Mukuro gritted his teeth at the new information. But he had seen the man, and he didn't look like he'd do this. He was more the type to order someone to do it for him. He gritted his teeth at their bickering. He didn't tell them about the information he had found in the Nebbia house.

_+Flashback+_

_While everyone was frantically rushing around to help the injured people, he had surveyed the scene carefully. Noticing there was the blood had been so meticulously splashed about on the floor, he carefully looked around for signs. His sharp eyes zoomed in on scribbles on the floor near the wall. He strode over to it, peering at it, mismatched eyes narrowed._

**Dearie me, look at this mess! Would you be a dear and clean it up for me?**

_Shutting his eyes, Mukuro counted from one to ten to stop the bile in his throat from spilling out of his mouth. Noticing a sheet of bloodstained paper underneath Mammon's still body, he went over to look, plucking it out from under her body. As Lal stared questioningly at him, he said, "Later," and walked away to help Reborn carry the purple-headed man to the car. As he walked back, he looked at the picture. There were directions on it._

**Bottom drawer on the second floor, yellow room**

_Mukuro resisted the urge to go upstairs, but continued looking around for more signs; little things that could help lead him to the attacker. He suddenly froze, remembering Tsuna's words._

_**Chrome is going to die if you stay with her.**_

_The stalking canaries, and now it was this? Was the next attack going to be on Chrome? He had a feeling that it was the person setting the canaries on Chrome, and he was sure as hell he was going to kill 'The Stalker' (He didn't believe that it was Chrome's father because he didn't have the aura that looked as if he could control birds. Canaries, to be precise). Gritting his teeth in anger at The Stalker's brutality and audacity, he watched them carry Little One's body to the car. He spotted writing on the table Little One was laid on, and he made himself walk calmly to the table. _

**Mukuro, Mukuro wherefore are thou Mukuro?**

_The teen's fists clenched. So it really was his fault. Glancing at the others to check if nobody was looking, he wiped the table clean of the writing, smearing the blood across so it covered the scribbles. Revenge was to be his and his alone, but until then, he had to keep up the innocent act. He had to. He had to protect Chrome, and to do that, he was going to do anything, even if it meant sabotaging the scene of crime. _

_He would not, under any circumstances, let her be wrapped up in this mess. And that was final._

_+End of Flashback+_

"Well, now that you have a suspect, I need to go. If you'll excuse me-," Reborn's head snapped towards him. Leaning in threateningly, he hissed at Mukuro, who didn't step back, accepting the challenge.

"You will do _no such thing_." The man hissed at the teen, who glared fearlessly back. "I still have some questions." Mukuro bristled angrily, but contained it with a haughty smirk, taunting Reborn.

"Oh, but of course, your highness, Kufufufu; how kind of you to assign such a task to me. Oya, oya, I fear-," Mukuro heaved an overdramatic sigh to grate the man's nerves. "That I might not be fulfill my duty. Nevertheless, I shall do my utmost best, your highness, Kufufufu." Reborn twitched.

Lussaria stepped in.

"Mukuro-chan, I think it's best if you don't aggravate Re-chan like that; he tends to get fussy quite quickly, and I hate cleaning up his messes." Lussaria sighed dramatically, and sent a secret wink to Mukuro, as if saying, **I'm on your side.**

Mukuro smirked. "Oh, but, Lussaria-sensei, I would never in a million years ever do such a thing~" He wailed, wiping his brow and falling over Lussaria. "Oh, pray tell, what on earth can I do to satisfy his unearthly needs, sensei~!" The duo hummed and hawed, wailing like damsels in distress.

Reborn snapped.

"Get out of here!" He growled, his black eyes glaring at them. "I'll deal with you later, you-," Lal clapped a hand over Reborn's mouth as she recognized one of his fits. He glared at her, and Lal glared back, growling. Lussaria and Mukuro tiptoed out and closed the door just as the shouting match began.

"You little _troia!_" Reborn snarled. "_V__affanculo! _Why are you helping them?"

"Oh, shut up, Mr. I know-it-all!" Lal seethed, and a loud crash sounded, indicating that she had thrown something. "Like I give a fuck about your dealings! Rokudo has nothing to do with this!" Scoffing audibly, Reborn snapped back at her.

"Oh really, Lal Mirch? Do you know your beloved student's background? If you did, you wouldn't be the dumb bit-,"

"What were you going to say?" In a dangerously sweet voice, Lal cut Reborn's sentence short. "I dare you to repeat that."

"'If you did, you wouldn't be the dumb bitch you are now,'" He said triumphantly. The hot-tempered woman gave a cry of rage and loud crashing noises sounded. Lussaria and Mukuro sweat-dropped at the obvious sounds of fighting.

"Ow!" Lal suddenly yelled, causing the two people standing outside to jump. Reborn laughed dangerously.

"Boob shot!" He gloated. "Yeah, that's right, bitch!" Then the shrieking began, and Lussaria and Mukuro slowly slinked away, cowering at the loud noise. Once they were out of range, they let go of their ears. Lussaria huffed haughtily, hands on his hips.

"Re-chan and Michi (1)-chan are so loud," He tsked, shaking his head. "My eardrums are just about burst! Those honeybunches really do need to untangle their bunched up panties." He muttered, flapping his hand around. Mukuro smirked.

"Oya, oya, Lussaria-sensei, no need to fret," The teen chuckled at the flustered nurse. "They'll calm down soon. I think." He added as an afterthought. The rainbow nurse sniffed disdainfully, and waved him away.

"Alrighty, Mukuro-chan, you'd better go now. I suspect Chrome-chan might be worried. After all, her family just got attacked, and she might panic if you were gone too." Mukuro blinked slowly, processing that. No, he was not going back to Chrome. He was going back, but not as her boyfriend anymore. She would be dragged into this, and he didn't want that.

"Kufufu, of course, Lussaria-sensei," He said, lying easily. "And thanks for helping back there." Lussaria giggled and waved a hand.

"No worries, Mukuro-chan!" He chirped, causing Mukuro to smirk. "It wasn't your fault! Re-chan was overreacting because of your- ahem- background." The nurse coughed a bit uncomfortably. The pineapple's smile slowly faded, because he _knew _that it really was his fault.

"Kufu, of course, Lussaria-sensei," He nodded, and turned away, waving casually at the teacher. "And I'll be leaving now. See you tomorrow, Lussaria-sensei, kufu." He smirked in a hopefully convincing way, and then he fled the scene.

It was time to go to Chrome's house for some answers.

_***K*H*R***_

"Really?" Chrome said excitedly as the nurse said they were allowed to go in a meet Fran; he was the only one awake. As they entered, Hibari saw a tray of food on the table next to the herbivore, and he was hooked up to an IV bag and the heart monitor beeping ominously.

"Fran, you're awake!" Chrome yelled, and bolted over to him, hugging him hard as soon as the nurse allowed visitors. Hibari allowed a small smile as he watched the green-haired herbivore wince a little and the powerful hug. However, the herbivore narrowed his eyes at Chrome, and he didn't hug her back.

"Let go," He said coldly, and Chrome quickly let go.

"Oh, did I hug too hard? Are you hurt? Should I go get the nurse? Hold on-!" the girl turned to run out the door in panic.

"I'm fine," He said, his eyes glaring icily at her. Hibari blinked at the icy tone, a little confused. The purple-haired girl didn't seem to notice.

"Are you sure? Fran, I-," Fran cut her off sharply.

"I am fine." He bit out. Finally noticing his cold behavior, she extended a cautious hand towards him.

"Fran, are you oka-?"

"Oh, _yes,_ I am absolutely perfectly _fine,_" He snarled, slapping her hand away and making the girl flinch. Hibari stepped forward, unsure. Fran continued in voice that unnerved the skylark. "My sister is still unconscious, my almost brother-in-law is also mortally wounded, and I'm just perfectly _fine!_" The prefect stepped forward, and he raised a tonfa threateningly.

"Apologize," He hissed. "That is defiling discipline." Fran glared back, the bottle containing all of his feelings breaking and letting all his contained emotions free.

"Like I give a _fuck_, you _figlio_-!"

"Fran!" Chrome cried out in distress. "What's wrong?" Fran whipped around to glare ferociously at her, and he grabbed the plate full of rice next to him and flung it at her. The prefect leapt forward and pulled Chrome out of the way. The plate crashed into the wall, rice flying everywhere.

"What's wrong?" He shrieked, the heart monitor beating wildly. "_You're _the thing that's wrong, Chrome Dokuro, because this whole bloody mess if _your_ fault, you _troia!_" He snatched up a bread knife and flung it toward her. Hibari had no idea what the green-haired herbivore just called her, but it didn't sound nice. He smashed his tonfa into the flying utensil, noting at how accurate the aim was.

Nurses and a doctor rushed in, urging Fran to calm down. "Nebbia-san, you_ must_ take it easy, or you'll reopen your stiches and-!" Fran screamed, and the keening was full of pain, anger, and despair.

"_It's all your fault, Chrome! Never come near my family again!"_ He screamed, and then he slowly quieted down and fell unconscious a minute after, for the doctors had injected a powerful sedative into him. Hibari turned to look at Chrome, who looked a little dazed.

"… Herbivore?" He asked cautiously. She turned to look at him, her eye wide. "Let's go," He told her, and she nodded slowly, and followed him out.

"I-I'm going outside for a breath of fresh air." She mumbled as soon as they were outside the hospital room. Hibari looked at her suspiciously, but let it go. When she walked out, he opened his phone and dialed the pineapple herbivore.

{Kufu, oya, oya, is this Kyoya? The great, awesome, magnificent Hibari Kyoya?} Was the first thing he said. The skylark gritted his teeth, but replied back coolly:

"Where the _hell_ are you, Omnivore?" Okay, maybe not so cool. Mukuro, however, chuckled annoyingly.

{Kufufu, why do you care?} Hibari rolled his eyes. Mukuro chuckled again, seeming to have anticipated the prefect's eye-roll.

"Get your stupid herbivore ass over here now. Your herbivore needs you. The green-haired herbivore went berserk and threw things at her." Mukuro let out a hiss.

{Little One did that?} He said, sounding surprised. {Why would he do that?} Hibari didn't answer.

"You'd better get over here before the herbivore does something stupid." He snapped, and he hung up, seething. Stupid Mukuro, Hibari was going to smash a tonfa into his face as soon as possible. He waited about ten minutes, but when Chrome didn't come back, he sucked in a breath, and went outside to follow Chrome, only to find that she was gone.

"Damn it all," Hibari cussed, and sprinted away. "Damn it all to _hell_."

_***K*H*R**_

Mukuro stood in front of the Nebbia household with bated breath. He mustered all is courage and stepped in, trying not to gag at the copper smell. He went to the place where they had found Mammon, and his mismatched eyes narrowed. There were circular drops of blood on the floor, indicating that they had dropped down from above. It could've been her blood on the attacker's weapon as he stood over her, or…

She was carried here, making the blood drop onto the floor.

He followed the trail, and it led him up the stairs to the front of a door. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed the doorknob and pushed open the door. Mukuro went into the yellow room, and froze, bile rising in his throat.

Red canaries had been painted with blood all over the room. The pineapple took an unsteady step back. They all had little 'x'es for eyes and the blood had dripped down the walls, creating trails of blood on the walls. It was definitely Mammon's blood. But where did they get all the blood from? He went over to the bottom drawers and frantically pulled them out, searching through the drawers. He paused at one.

It was a needle attached to a bag, along with a bloody paintbrush. He closed his eyes. They had drained Mammon's blood and used it to paint the walls. This time he didn't stop himself. He stumbled over to the window and gagged violently, a yellow trickle of slime coming out. He had nothing in his stomach to throw up. Sinking to his knees, the pineapple swallowed repeatedly, his throat feeling raw. Eyes watering, he went back over to the drawer and picked it up, meaning to dispose of it when he noticed a little piece of paper in the bag. He ripped the bag open and pulled the note out and looked at it.

It was a picture.

An eerily familiar _family_ picture.

Mukuro's eyes widened at the picture; it was a snapshot of him and his brother, Daemon. At the time, Mukuro hadn't been a guinea pig; his mother and father didn't do it until he turned thirteen. Mukuro was hugging Daemon's waist as the five-year old Mukuro smiled innocently into the camera, waving a hand happily. Daemon was about a head taller, and was thirteen at the time. Smirking at the camera, he ruffled his little brother's hair, his eyes dark with secrets. They had already dissected Daemon's eye.

He remembered the time when his older brother kept on appearing with more cuts and bandages. The child-Mukuro was still oblivious of his parent's sick hobbies, and he kept on wondering where those wounds had come from. As soon as Daemon turned eighteen, he had moved away. Mukuro was ten, and, distressed at his brother's disappearance, managed to hack into the family computer and track down his brother's whereabouts. Finding out that he was involved with the mafia, he tried to dissuade Daemon and to convince him to come back home.

It didn't end well.

Mukuro still had a scar on his back where Daemon had slashed him with his newly acquired weapon; a scythe. Since then, Mukuro hated Daemon's guts, for not only had he hurt him, but he had ordered the death of one of Mukuro's best friends, Tony (2), as a threat to never come near him again.

The pineapple's face drained of color as he slowly turned the bloodstained picture around with shaking hands. He closed his eyes. He knew it.

**Fancy meeting up with me again, Muku-chan? **** - ****D**

Sinking to his knees, he sagged, head hanging. It was all his fault. And he was going to drag Chrome into his mess if he didn't stop this. She'd be Tony number two if he didn't stop. Mukuro closed his eye. He needed to call it off with his dear, sweet, cute Chrome. And he had to do it now, before it was too late.

Right on cue, his phone started ringing. He jumped; his nerves were shot. Looking at the screen, he recognized the ID. He smirked, picking up.

"Kufu, oya, oya, is this Kyoya? The great, awesome, magnificent Hibari Kyoya?" he chuckled into the phone.

{Where the _hell_ are you, omnivore?} He snapped. Mukuro raised an eyebrow. **Look who's got their panties in a bunch.**

"Kufufu, why do you care?" He could practically hear the skylark roll his eyes. He chuckled.

{Get your stupid herbivore ass over here now. Your herbivore needs you. The green-haired herbivore went berserk and threw things at her.} A surprised hiss slipped out of the pineapple's mouth.

"Little One did that?" He asked. "Why would he do that?" He mused, almost to himself. Hibari didn't reply, but snapped out a curt response:

{You'd better get over here before the herbivore does something stupid.} And promptly hung up. Mukuro sighed and walked out of the Nebbia house, closing his eyes. He picked up his phone once more and this time called Chrome. She picked up almost immediately.

{Mukuro-san,} She said, sounding as if she had just cried. {Where are you?} Chrome sounded immensely relieved that he had called her. The said teen closed his eyes.

"It doesn't matter," He told her shortly, making sure that he sounded as detached as possible. Sounding confused, his cute Chrome replied a little unsteadily.

{M-Mukuro-san?} He gritted his teeth.

"We're over." He snapped. He heard her suck in a breath. He shut his eyes tightly, then opened them again. **I'm sorry, I'm so, so, sorry. Hibari can take care of you. He'd take care of you better than me.**

{M-Mukuro-san?} She asked, sounding winded. {W-what-?}

"We're done, kufu." He forced himself to smirk, so she would hear the smile in his voice. His face hurt at the forced gesture. "I was just toying with you. Did you honestly think that I really liked you?" He heard her breath quicken, and she started to hyperventilate.

{But I-} He cut her off quickly.

"You must be a bad luck magnet, you know?" He took a deep breath in to steady his voice. "First it was your mom, then it was Glo, and now it's your brother and sister and another guy. I don't want to be the next one, kufu." Damn. That was a low blow, but it needed to be done. "Good-bye." He told her shortly, and he hung up. Gritting his teeth, he threw his phone at the ground, causing it to smash into pieces. Then he howled, squeezing his eyes shut.

"God, _fucking,_ damn it!"

_***K*H*R***_

Chrome stared at the phone dumbly. That was about the same thing as Fran said. Oh god.

She really was bad luck. Everybody was getting hurt. Oh god. She needed to get away before Cloud Person got hurt. She needed to. Chrome couldn't afford another person getting hurt because of her again.

She walked away from the hospital quickly, tears in her good eye. Her right eye never hurt anymore, but sometimes it gave little stings. Right now it was stinging. Or was that because everything hurt? Chrome didn't care, but walked away from the hospital. But then she stopped in front of a bridge. It was a tall bridge, over the river, decades old. It was built for old merchants to cross the rivers back when cars and computers didn't exist. Now it was just an old monument, with no one caring about its existence anymore.

Just like her.

They had closed it with warning signs, saying that it was too dangerous to cross. The middle was broken off, and the wooden planks missing here and there. She came to a decision.

Such a pathetic life as hers should be ended.

She took a shaky step forward, then she ducked under the 'Caution' tape. Then she slowly walked across the old and rotting wood, the bridge creaking ominously. As she reached the middle, she smiled. All her worries would be gone with one, tiny, little step off the bridge into oblivion.

Only two more steps.

She took another step forward, then two back. What if it didn't end? What if the person who found her body would get cursed and it would start the cycle all over again?

She was scared.

Shutting her eye, she keened; she screamed for the loss of her mother, the loss of her family, the loss of her friends. As her scream slowly died away, and she opened her eye to the end of the bridge. It was blurred because of tears. She took another step forward.

"Please…" She whispered, the wind taking her words away. "Save me…" She breathed, not sure who she was asking for help. Then it hit her.

She didn't want to die. There was still Cloud Person. Cloud Person had stayed with her the whole time, even though she didn't deserve it. But god, she was so selfish. With that thought, Chrome took another step, her feet at the very edge. The end wasn't even a half step away. But she didn't want this, did she? Chrome wanted to live life, but if she did, everyone she loved would get hurt. She couldn't take it anymore, and suddenly, her knees buckled.

Her eye widened as she fell off the end of the bridge.

_***K*H*R***_

Hibari told Hibird to find Chrome, then he dialed the Cavallone herbivore. He picked up happily.

{Kyoya! Wow, I was just thinking about you! Our minds must be connecte-}

"Chrome's missing," He hissed into the phone, feet pounding on the pavement. "We need to find her now, because some crazy killer herbivore is on the loose.} Dino panicked.

{What! Okay, I'll call for some more help and then I'll tell them to look around Namimori. We'll find her, Kyoya.} He assured the prefect, and hung up. Hibari nodded, and looked around. She couldn't have gone far, unless she took a cab or took the subway. The sun was setting, casting shadows across the streets and buildings. Crap.

It was getting dark; which made her even more vulnerable. He suddenly heard screaming that was full of pain and despair. His eagle eyes widened as he recognized the voice.

He sprinted towards the sound, stumbling a little over a stray rock but recovering quickly and continuing to run, the scenery around him blurring with the speed that he was going with. He jolted to a stop when he saw her.

She was standing on the old bridge that was collapsing because of age. She had stopped screaming, but she was two steps away from death. He walked slowly and quietly towards her, his mind racing with possible options.

He couldn't call her name, she might be surprised and jump off. Running towards her was no option either, for the bridge might not take both their weight combined. He saw her lips move, but he didn't hear it, because the wind blew her words away. He faintly heard her second words.

"_Save me…_" She whispered. The skylark padded forward quietly, and he stopped at the caution tape. Ducking under it gracefully, but silently, he took a risky step forward. Thankfully, the board didn't creak.

But almost as if she heard him, Chrome stepped forward. His breath caught in his throat. Only a half-step and she would be gone. And the scariest thing happened.

Her knees buckled, and she toppled off the end of the bridge.

His eyes widened, and all reasonable thought flew out of his head as he dived towards her already falling body.

"Chrome!"

_***Owari***_

_**1. In Japanese, you pronounce her name as 'Miruchi'- well, that's how it sounded like to me anyway. XP**_

_**2. They mention this kid in Mukuro's flashback in the Kokuyo arc. **_

_**I'm so sorry for the long wait! I was going to update it sooner, but my school blocked FFN, and I go to a boarding school so i can't go on FFN from Monday through Friday. Plus, I wasn't done with my chapter as soon as I thought I was going to finish it, because basically, I was already done with this chapter, but then I realized that it was a lot like 'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins so I rewrote this chapter. I explained everything in my author's note. Anyhoo, Reviews? **_


	12. Chapter 11

_**Disclaimers: I do not own KHR**_

She didn't know where she was.

Mammon stared at the whitewashed walls of the hospital ceiling uncomprehendingly as she struggled to take in what happened. She internally jumped when she heard someone familiar speak.

"M-Mammon-nee?" She turned her head slowly towards the young and scared-looking boy with shoulder length teal green hair. He had little triangular marks under his eyes, just like her. Sitting in a chair by her bed, he continued to look her over. But as her mind struggled to remember who he was, he reached out a tentative hand.

Her hidden eyes went wide, and before she knew it, Mammon slapped his hand away. He looked startled, drawing his hand back. "M-Mammon-nee?" He said uncertainly. She stared hard at him.

She still didn't know who he was.

She creased her brows, before she slowly leaned forward. The boy sat in his steel chair, anxiously surveying her. She brushed her hand against his bangs, and titled her head as she stared.

"Ehhhhh?" She said slowly, her voice slowly lilting up at the end as the stared at the unknown boy. He blinked.

"Mammon-nee, it's Fran." He said, looking confused. Mammon leaned back, and tilted her head again.

"Reeeeallly?" She hummed, mouth hanging open and looking around. She suddenly noticed that she had a needle sticking in her left hand. Raising it up to her eye level, she eyed it curiously before poking it.

"Mammon-nee," His voice brought her back. "It's Fran. I- d-do you-?" His voice broke off. She turned to look at him, and suddenly split her face in a wide grin.

"I like purple," She replied, and his eyes filled with tears. Looking around, she saw flowers at the side of her bed. She plucked a purple-colored one out, not sure what it was called. She extended it towards him. "Like?"

The boy took it, and tears were streaming silently down his face. He nodded, and he wiped his face with his sleeve, sobbing. She was confused.

"You no like?" She asked, feeling very distressed. She turned to the flowers again, and hurriedly picked a blue one and handed it to him. "This?" She asked, and he cried louder, and suddenly hugged her, bawling.

"Mammon-nee!" He howled. "It's me, Fran! It's me, it's me!"

She didn't know how to respond.

_***K*H*R***_

Fran was taken out of the room, eyes red-rimmed with tears, hand still clutching the purple posy that Mammon had given him. The nurses calmed him down, and they told him that the blow towards her head had probably caused the brain to swell, causing memory loss. They weren't sure if her memory was ever going to come back because the brain was something that nobody understood totally.

He stayed silent as the nurses told him that someone special had come to visit, and he walked slowly outside to the hospital's garden.

"Froggy!" Bel had come to visit him. Fran stiffened as the blonde walked over to him. The blonde came over; hands in his pockets, grinning like a maniac. "Well, look who's all down! Cheer up; you'll be out of here in no time, ushi! Did you miss me?"

Fran shut his eyes. He did. He had missed Bel a lot, but he didn't know what to say. Mammon couldn't remember him, and Skull, who was just trying to get him and Mammon out of the house safely, was still unconscious. He had shooed Chrome out, but he hadn't really meant it. He felt terrible, and he had taken it out on his sweet sister, who didn't know what was going on. Fran didn't know what to say anymore. Everything was too weird, and Bel could get-

"Come on, Froggy, chin up! Ushishishi," He grinned, putting his hands behind his head. The boy opened his eyes to look at Bel before he began shaking. They were after Chrome; they had scribbled that all over him when they hurt him- he sucked a deep breath in to steady himself. Bel didn't seem to notice.

"C'mon, ushishi, the prince shall order them to let you go and we'll go-,"

"Bel," He interrupted quietly. The blonde was so surprised that Fran had used his real name he froze. "You should leave," He mumbled quietly. The prince stared at him confusedly.

"Froggy-?"

"Leave," Fran commanded, closing his eyes again. "You'll get hurt. Staying with me and my family will put you in danger." Chrome was a part of his family, so he couldn't just push her out. He would get her, then they would leave. Yes, leave where Mammon could recuperate and where Fran wouldn't see the crazy, sweet prince whom Fran was falling in love wi-

Fran jumped when he felt hands go around him. He whipped around and began kicking and screaming. "Let _go!_" He screeched, his mind a blur. "Let go, you fake-ass idiot prince, let me go-!"

"No," Bel said steadily. "I'm not going to." For the second time that day, Fran felt tears welling up in his eyes. The younger teen shut his green eyes, choking on his breath.

"Please," He whispered. **Don't do this, Bel. **"You'll get hurt." The blonde turned him around.

"I won't, ushishishi, the prince is too princely to get hurt!" He chirped. Fran snapped.

"No, you stupid prince, you really will! I can beat you easily, with all that Master taught me, but for your stupid ego I've been holding _back!_" He shrieked. Bel was taken aback. Fran continued hatefully: "They hurt me that much, and you think you can stand a chance, you moron? You don't!"

"Froggy-,"

"And you just hang around me because you have no friends. Did you honestly think that we were friends?" He added, hissing. Bel flinched visibly, before his face hardened as he grinned sadistically.

"Ushishi, oh really? And did you ever realize that I was only playing?" Yes," He smirked when it was Fran's turn to flinch. "I noticed your eyes following me everywhere. You had a little crush on me, didn't you, ushishi. Sorry, I don't like stupid, miserable, little _faggots_ like you." With that, the blonde turned and strode out of the hospital.

Fran stood there numbly, teal eyes wide. He slowly raised a hand towards his hot cheeks, and when he pulled it away his hand was wet. "I- Bel…" He said weakly at the said teen's retreating figure. The emotional stress was too much. First Mammon, then Bel; what was going to be next?

This his eyes rolled up and everything went black as he crumpled to the dirt of the hospital garden, folding in on himself.

Everything was going wrong.

_***K*H*R***_

Chrome's knees buckled, sending her falling towards her death. Hibari's eyes widened.

"Chrome!" Hibari screeched, diving towards her falling body. "No!" With his fast reflexes, he grabbed her with his right arm and with his left he grabbed hold of the end of the bridge. He pulled her in close with his body, both of them hanging precariously off the edge of the bridge. Her head lolled around and he looked at her. She peered blearily back at him.

"C-Cloud Person?" She said, sounding breathless.

"The hell, herbivore?" He hissed, hugging her small body. "What were you thinking?" He hissed when the rotting wood gave way a little, causing dirt and pebbles to cascade down on them. He wrapped his arm around her small waist more securely, hugging her close to his body and closing his eyes. If he lost his vision now, then they were both doomed. She looked up at him, determination in her good eye.

"Let me go," She commanded quietly. He snarled, and wrapped his arm more securely around her. Chrome tugged at his arm, and he growled at her in warning. "Please," She said. He opened his mouth to retort, but the plank gave way a little, jerking them lower. She shut her eye and Hibari put his chin over her head to block her from the pebbles. Her head was in his chest, but he didn't notice because he was too busy trying to think of a way out.

"Damn," He growled. Where was Dino? A sudden chirping interrupted his thoughts and he looked up. Hibari was chirping frantically, flying around his master's head.

"Hibari! Hibari!" Hibird flew round and round his head, flapping his wings frantically. Hibari barked out a command:

"Hibird, get the Cavallone herbivore!" the yellow bird flew off, chirping. He gritted his teeth. He was tiring fast. They'd both be doomed if he let go.

But his arm began to shake. His eyes widened. He grunted, and he readjusted his grip. Chrome sighed, and suddenly leaned up and pressed a small kiss against his cheek. He stiffened.

"Thank you," She whispered softly against his cheeks. "Go… and live." She murmured, and pulled herself free. His eye widened as she fell through.

"Goddammit, herbivore!" He snarled, and let go of the plank to dive after her. He grabbed her, and then the skylark pulled out his tonfas and slammed it into the rock next to them. The tonfa sank into the rock. They slid down another few inches before they both stopped sliding. He grinned ferociously at the small victory.

The rock was slanting a little, so he slowly climbed up until he reached a ledge. He sat down, panting, holding her in his arms, back to his chest. She struggled weakly against his iron-tight grip.

"C-Cloud Person-!"

"Listen-," He cut himself off when she continued to struggle, and he shook her violently, her head bobbing with the force he had used. "_Listen!_ _It was not your fault._" He growled next to her ear. She suddenly sagged.

"Please." The purple-haired girl's voice was soft, pleading. "I don't want to hurt anyone anymore," She mumbled. His eyes narrowed dangerously.

"You won't." He promised, hugging her tighter. "You just need to stop hurting yourself." He perked up at the sound of his name.

"Kyoya!" Hibari grinned predatorily when he realized Dino was here. "Kyoya, where are you? Oh, god, did he jump? Hibird, go look! Oh god," Dino was frantic.

"Took the herbivore long enough," He muttered. Then, to Dino: "Cavallone herbivore! Down here!"

"Kyoya, thank god, oh, bless the lord, thank you, oh thank Kyoya, thank the lord, god bless you-," Dino was babbling with anxiety. When a harness came down, he buckled the straps around her first. Her eye widened and she reached out to him.

"C-Cloud Person, what about-?"

"They'll send another one down." He interrupted her smoothly. "I'll see you up there." She looked at him, before nodding.

"Okay," She whispered, and they pulled her up. He rubbed a hand over his tired eyes before he raked little rocks and pebbles out of his jet-black hair. Then Dino called down in warning that the harness was coming down. He slipped on the harness and they pulled him up.

Dino hugged him, bawling. Chrome watched silently, smiling a little.

"Kyoya! Oh, Kyoya, I thought you died! Never scare me like that again!" Then the math teacher buried his face into Hibari's shirt and sobbed. The prefect twitched and raised a tonfa threateningly.

"Let go, herbivore." He commanded, and Dino immediately let go, stepping back. Chrome giggled a little.

"Hey now, Kyoya, don't-ack!" He tripped over his shoelace and stumbled backwards, falling flat on his back. "Ow," He whimpered.

The skylark sighed, irritated, while the girl giggled and helped the injured blonde up.

"Ow… thank you, Chrome. Kyoya's so heartless!" He wailed. Chrome chuckled.

"Cloud Person tends to be like that. But in fact, he's like chocolate! Bitter on the outside-,"

"And sugary sweet on the inside!" Dino finished, grinning like a maniac.

"Stupid herbivores," He muttered at their antics, smiling a little. Everything was going to be okay now. He was sure.

But once again, he was proven wrong.

_***K*H*R**_

Tsuna paced nervously at his house, nibbling his lip. Reborn watched him, before snapping at him.

"Everything's fine, Dame-Tsuna. Calm down," He ordered. The distressed boy whipped around.

"But what if something really bad happened?" Tsuna said anxiously. "Bel looked more worried than I've ever seen before, he might be-!"

"Mah, mah, Tsuna, everything's going to be fine." Yamamoto said soothingly. "He had Mukuro as his teacher, he'll be okay." Gokudera nodded with the baseball jock.

"For once, the baseball idiot is making sense, Tenth. They'll be okay." He assured his beloved Tenth. Tsuna bit his lip. Luche stepped in.

"Tsuna-kun, everything will be alright," She said calmly. The brunette took a deep breath and sat down.

"Okay, but I-," His phone interrupted him, ringing ominously. He whipped out his phone and looked at the ID.

"Chrome," He said breathlessly. "Are they-?"

"Fran's okay," She informed, and Tsuna breathed out in relief, and turned his phone on speaker.

"Thank god!" He cried out in relief. "What happened?" He asked. There was a pause, and everyone waited tensely.

"T-They were attacked," She mumbled. "I don't know who, but they were attacked." She said quietly. The brunette stiffened. Yamamoto and Gokudera stared at the phone as if it would jump up and hurt them.

"I-If you wouldn't mind me asking," The distressed brunette took a deep breath to steady himself. "H-How-?"

"Fran was cut all over." She interrupted quietly, breath hitching. "About a hundred stitches all over," Reborn's eyes glittered dangerously as he leaned in.

"How was he cut?" He asked in his velvety voice. Chrome didn't sound surprised that he was there.

"Random-looking slashes, avoiding all the major blood vessels," She replied, sounding tired. "Cloud Person says that they know what they're doing." Reborn nodded, impressed with Hibari's skill of analyzing.

"He's right," He said. Chrome mumbled something, before telling them goodbye.

"Mammon's okay," She said happily, albeit tiredly. "And I'm going to go sleep now; I'm really tired." Reborn and Luche nodded.

"Say hi to Mammon-chan for me," Luche smiled. Chrome muttered an 'okay' and hung up. Tsuna paled considerably while Gokudera looked sick. Yamamoto had a strained smile in his face.

"Well, the good news is that none of them are in danger, right?" He grinned forcibly.

Tsuna sagged, head hanging. Gokudera immediately perked up, worried. "Tenth?"

"I-Who could've done this?" He whispered tiredly into the room, eyes filling with tears. Reborn's eyes narrowed as he kicked the boy gently. The brunette stiffened, and nodded, wiping his tears away. Reborn left the room with Luche. Luche touched his arm.

"Reborn…" She began. "I don't think you should make Tsunayoshi-kun keep his feelings inside." The said man took off his fedora and raked his hand through his hair.

"Luche," He muttered. "Things are going to get worse, and I want him to be ready." The woman's eyes lightened in understanding.

"Yes," She answered softly. "But Tsunayoshi always surprises us, does he not? Cold calculation doesn't work all the time with him, Reborn. He's unpredictable." Luche murmured. Reborn sighed, but didn't answer, and the two of them walked back to their house.

_***K*H*R***_

The next day, Fran woke up in his hospital room blearily. A nurse beside him sighed in relief.

"Thank goodness," She sighed, clutching her clipboard tightly. "I found you on the ground outside the hospital; I was so worried." Fran stared blankly at her and turned away in his bed, curling up into a ball; his eyes staring sadly at the pillow next to him.

Bel.

Bel said…

Bel said that…

Fran was nothing more than a dirty little _faggot_. The boy's face remained the same, but inside he was crying, sobbing. The nurse seemed to pick on his feelings no matter how hard he was hiding it. Quietly tucking the blankets more securely around the curled up boy, she left the room silently.

Fran appreciated that. He felt drowsy, drained. Shutting his teal-green eyes, he cried himself to sleep.

_***K*H*R***_

Bel growled threateningly at the wall before punching it. "Goddammit!" He hissed furiously, and rested his head against the wall. Under his bangs, he closed his eyes.

"Damn it all," He mumbled. He couldn't believe that he said that to Fran. To _his _Froggy. He growled and smacked his head against the wall once more. "Fuck!" He cursed. That actually hurt, but his Froggy must've been hurting more.

"Ushesheshe, why so sad, brother?" Bel groaned.

"Fuck off, Raisel," He grumbled. Raisel was his older twin brother and he had the same blonde hair, the same crazy grin, and the same hobby for playing with knives, however, Raisel had straight and longer hair. He did nothing of the sort, but Raisel merely smirked and jumped down from the top of Bel's closet. Raisel had a thing for high places; he would suddenly appear out of nowhere and scare the shit out of Bel.

"Ushe, what's wrong? Did you finally realize that you're not going to become king?" Bel's head snapped up at the comment.

"What do you mean, stupid brother?" He asked. The older twin grinned.

"Mixing with commonwealth like that, you'll never be king. Especially that annoying frog. Well, that's not including the fact that you're younger and stupider and weaker-,"

CLANG!

Two knives clanged off each other and wedged themselves into the walls opposite of each other, quivering ominously. Bel jumped onto Raisel, snarling ferociously. The two tumbled onto the ground, fighting each other.

"Take it back," Bel snarled fiercely at the smirking Raisel. "Or I will fucking punch your face into _oblivion_, you little mind-fucker-!" Raisel hooked his leg under the younger's leg and pulled, causing the younger twin to fall. The older prince got on top and landed five punches straight to Bel's left cheek. The younger boy's face snapped to the side when Raisel struck him quickly.

"Ushesheshe, still too weak," The older one grinned. "You let emotions take over you, brother, and that is the reason why you'll never be king." Getting up and brushing himself off, Raisel walked away triumphantly. The stunned prince lay flat on his back, staring at the ceiling.

He got up, wincing a little, and made his way to his massive bedroom. The walls were a deep, velvety red. The curtains were draped back neatly with a gold rope. His bed had a canopy that draped neatly over his huge bed, and without taking off his shoes, Bel flopped onto his bed.

"Froggy," He muttered into the pillow. "I'm sorry. But what…" He trailed off and shut his eyes before drifting off to sleep.

_But what if the prince wants to be with the frog? _

_***K*H*R***_

"Fran!" Chrome cried, and ran in to hug her brother. "What happened? I heard that you suddenly collapsed. Are you okay?" she said, looking over him. Fran stared at her dully. She flinched; although he was emotionless most of the time, she was usually able to read what he was feeling by looking into his eyes.

But that broken look shocked her.

"F-Fran-?" She began hesitantly. "W-what happ-?"

"Bel," He whispered. "Bel happened." He continued in a broken whisper. Chrome's mouth dropped open into a 'O' and she hugged him tightly.

"What happened?" She asked gently. He whispered so softly.

"I- I told him to leave." He said quietly. "He's going to get hurt like Mammon-nee and Skull if he continues to be friends with me Chrome, I know it." He shut his green eyes. Chrome smoothed back his hair.

"It'll be okay," She soothed. "Just go to him and-,"

"Chrome," He interrupted brokenly. "I am a _faggot_." She blinked before her one good eye glared at him.

"Never," She said so coldly that Fran flinched. "Call yourself that. You are who you are," She said, her gaze hardening. Fran's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to object.

"B-,"

"And if anyone dares to differ I _will_ get them, Fran. You are no _faggot_." She spit the word out hatefully. "You are who you are. Don't let anyone change that." She continued. The boy stared before wrapping his arms around Chrome and began crying.

"Chrome," He sobbed quietly. Chrome was shocked that he was crying; the emotionless Fran never showed his emotions. Nevertheless, she allowed it, rubbing small circles into his back.

"Shh," She said quietly. Fran cried silently; the only thing that indicated that he was crying was the sharp intake of breath every few minutes or so.

"I'm sorry," He said. "For everything. I didn't know what hap-," The girl smiled, and patted his head.

"It's okay. You were attacked; of course you needed someone to blame it on." She said, smiling. Fran smiled back a little, unnerved by his sister's sudden maturity. But the next sentence made the boy freeze. "How's Mammon-san? Is she okay? I heard that she was awake," she said, leaning back. Chrome stood and stretched, moving her sore muscles.

"M-Mammon-nee, you mean?" He said nervously. Chrome nodded.

"I should go and wake Cloud Person up before we visit her," She said, and turned to go outside. Hibari was probably sleeping on the roof of the hospital. "Should I check the roof first or the-?"

"Chrome," Fran interrupted her babbling. She turned to look curiously at her. "Mammon-nee can't remember anything," He said bleakly. Her eye widened, before smiling.

"Fran, you should get some-,"

"I'm serious," He said hoarsely, his throat closing up on him. "S-she didn't remember me," He trailed of quietly, eyes welling up with tears again.

Chrome stood there, looking shocked, before turning and pulling open the door, sprinting down the corridors to Mammon's room. When she turned a corner she ran smack into Cloud Person. He gripped her around the shoulders.

"Herbivore, running through the hallways is defiling-,"

"I need to go!" She burst out, and he looked stunned.

"What, herbivore?" She panted heavily, winded when she ran into Cloud Person. He was as hard as a rock with all his muscles and abs hidden underneath his shirt.

"Mammon-san," She wheezed. "Can't remember anything," He looked at her, and turned around, walking quickly to Mammon's room.

"Is the she-herbivore awake?" He asked, walking briskly. Chrome practically had to jog to keep up with his brisk stride.

"Yes," She gasped. Hibari pushed open the door rather rudely, and Chrome peered out from under his arm. Mammon looked at them, and grinned like a maniac.

"Hi, hi! Come here," She gestured towards the balloons beside her head enthusiastically. "See?"

Tears welled up in Chrome's eye. Mammon couldn't remember a thing. In addition to that, they had to amputate Mammon's leg. The said woman lay in bed, giggling happily and burbling like a baby, but looking strangely stunted because one leg was gone, cut off from the knee down. Chrome walked forward and shut her eye, sinking down to her knees at the side of Mammon's bed.

"Mammon-san," She cried softly, clutching Mammon's hand. The woman patted her head, humming, before handing her a book. Chrome wiped away her tears and smiled through her tears.

"I-Do you want me to read?" She whispered softly. Mammon shook her head, and gestured towards the book.

"Sing," She explained. Looking down, Chrome noticed that it was a book full of nursery rhymes. Her eye widened. She could still read.

Taking that as a good sign, she confidently opened the book and chose a song, singing it softly to Mammon, who hummed along. She forgot that Hibari was behind her, listening.

"'_Ring-around-the rosy, a pocketful of posies…_" Her soft voice rang out clearly in the quiet hospital room. Hibari stared; her voice was beautiful and clear. It made the song eerie and sweet at the same time. He closed his eyes and leaned back in his own chair and was just falling asleep when an earsplitting shriek shook him awake.

"No! No, no hurt him!" Mammon screamed loudly, and smacked Chrome across the face with her nails. The small girl fell out of her chair due to the force Mammon had used. Quickly running over to Chrome, the skylark looked over her cheek. She wouldn't let him touch her cheek, shaking his worried hands off. Chrome pointed a shaky hand at Mammon.

"Go to her!" She commanded, and in his surprise at her nerve, Hibari complied, turning around to walk over to the distressed woman in bed. Chrome called out to Mammon desperately. "Mammon-san! What's wrong?"

"They hurting him!" Mammon cried out, and without wasting a second, the prefect jolted himself into action and strode over, smacking the red button firmly to call for help. Mammon began wriggling in bed.

"Hurting, hurting my Fran!" Chrome's eye widened at the sentence, and she shot over to the distressed Mammon's bed.

"Mammon, can you remember anything?" She said desperately, gripping her hand. Mammon turned to look at the girl and suddenly pulled her down so she was face-to-face with Mammon.

Hibari couldn't hear what Mammon was saying, but only saw Chrome's eye widen and then Mammon fell limply back onto her bed as the doctors scurried in.

"Oh, my, Dokuro-san, let's get you treated immediately," Said a doctor, noticing the scratch marks on her face. Nodding numbly, she allowed herself to be led out. Hibari's eyes narrowed, and he walked over to the woman. Her hand was bloody; her nails had pierced her skin where she gripped her hands too tightly.

It seemed that Mammon had gained a bit of her memory back. The skylark's eyes narrowed. The evidence was gone now, he was sure, once Mammon woke up again she would remember nothing. However, the only one who had some evidence was Chrome. He smiled grimly.

He had some questions.

She had some answers.

He was going to find out, no matter what.

_***K*H*R***_

Chrome's eye widened when Mammon had pulled her down and had whispered into her ear: _"They-are-coming._"

**Who?**__She thought to herself as the doctor cleaned her face. **Who's coming? What for, and when?** Her mind reeled with questions as she struggled to think straight. The stinging pain on her face wasn't helping. The doctor slapped a plaster on her face, and ushered her out.

"You must go slowly with her, Dokuro-san," He lectured. "It seems that she remembered a bit, but that can cause stress, and as a result a situation like today could happen again. It might be worse next time, perhaps." He said, and she nodded solemnly.

"Okay," She said, and walked away. **Who's coming?**

She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't look where she was going and walked right into someone.

"Ow," She mumbled, rubbing her nose, looking down. She continued massaging her sore nose, not looking at the person she bumped into. "I'm sorry-,"

"Chrome?" The man interrupted her sentence. The said girl froze at the voice and slowly looked up. Her mouth fell open as she stared.

"I-,"

"Chrome," He breathed, and bent down to hug her. "You're okay,"

"M-Mukuro-?" She stammered, and took a shaky step back. He looked confused.

"Chrome?" He questioned. She looked over him, and then her eye widened. His eye was different. His red eye had the shape of a clover.

Mukuro-san's was a line.

She swallowed nervously, but played along.

"H-Hi Mukuro-san," She mumbled, her head racing. What was she supposed to do? **Cloud Person!** She screamed mentally. **Help me!**

"My cute Chrome," The imposter breathed out in relief. "Let's go," He said hurriedly, looking around.

"W-Why?" She panicked.

"Because you're not safe here," He said quickly, and grasped her hand. She flinched; it was cold.

Mukuro's hand was always warm.

"I need to go to the bathroom!" She squeaked, pulling her hand free and sprinting away. She locked herself in the stall, breathing loudly. With shaky fingers, she pulled out her phone and called Cloud Person.

**Please pick up!** Chrome squeezed her eye shut, cold sweat running down her face. Suddenly, the phone stopped ringing, signaling that he had hung up on her. Her mouth opened as she gasped for air, sinking slowly to the ground. She shoved a fist into her mouth to stop screaming.

It was her.

They were going to attack her next.

She was the next victim.

**Someone,** she cried silently. **Save me-!**

The door opened, and she couldn't speak for she was paralyzed with fear. The unknown man backed her into the corner of the small stall. He grinned, his eyes glinting madly.

"Seems you found out," He grinned. "But that doesn't matter now, does it?"

_***K*H*R***_

When Chrome walked off with the doctor, Hibari's phone beeped. He looked at it, and started in surprise.

Your father is still waiting. Are you going to be a coward for the rest of your life, or are you going to face him like a man? –A. Suzuki 

He glared at the phone. Stupid she-herbivore. He sighed, and pocketed his phone. He might as well go to his father while Chrome stayed with the doctors. She would be safe here, he hoped. Then he picked up his jacket and rode away in his motorcycle, roaring through the streets.

He screeched to a stop at his father's house. He took off his helmet and slung it onto his motorcycle seat. Walking briskly up to the door, he rang the doorbell. His heart pounded, and he chastised himself for it. He was a carnivore; carnivores don't get scared. The door opened, revealing his step-mother.

She smiled in surprise before greeting him. "Kyoya!" She said warmly. "Come on in!" He warily walked inside the house. He flinched at the familiar smells; his father's aftershave, Sakura flowers, and coffee. Hibari growled; this was why he hated Sakura flowers and coffee. He walked into the kitchen when his father looked up and smiled softly.

"Kyoya," He smiled warmly. Hibari bristled; he hated the fact that his father gave him that name, hated the fact that they looked so much alike, hated the fact that they were related.

"What do you want, herbivore?" He hissed. Fon was unfazed, he was used to Hibari's threats and hostility. He rested his chin on his hands, looking calmly at Hibari.

The skylark grinned predatorily. At least he had his mother's eyes, and not his father's. Fon looked amused.

"Hm, Kyoya seems to be in a good moon today. Mind telling me why?" The prefect chose not to answer, but he stood silently. His father sighed, and gestured towards his step-mother. She nodded and left the room. Hibari's eyes narrowed. Fon closed his eyes, rubbing his temples tiredly.

"Kyoya, it's time for you to grow up," He told his son, and Hibari blinked in surprise. He stood calmly, waiting for his father to finish. "So your mother and I have decided to send to England for better education." Hibari bristled. Leave his precious Namimori? Never.

"I refuse, herbivore," He said immediately.

"Kyoya-," Fon began in a pacifying tone.

"No, herbivore. Do not make me repeat it." the prefect said. A glint came into Fon's eyes.

"Kyoya, this is the best for you. I am your father, and you _will_ listen to me-,"

"I listen to no-one, especially not an herbivore." Hibari snarled, and turned away from his father to storm out of the house.

"Kyoya, listen to me first." Fon ordered, and Hibari couldn't resist. He turned angrily to his father. His father cleared his throat before continuing, repeating what he had said before. "Kyoya, I am your father, and you will listen to me because-,"

"Herbivore, you are _not_ my father." He hissed. Fon's face was wiped clean of that smile, that annoying smile that was always there, no matter what happened. The prefect was shocked for a second, but he quickly suppressed his surprise.

"Kyoya-"

"Do not call me that." Hibari spat, bristling. "You are not my father," He concluded, his steel blue eyes glaring furiously at Fon. His father's face was suddenly devoid of emotion.

"Hibari Kyoya," He said. "You are going to go to England with Suzuki Adeheid, whom your mother and I have decided for you to go with. She will escort you, and you _will not_ make a fuss." The skylark was too shocked to hit his father.

"That _herbivore_?" His hissed, almost shrieking. Fon smirked a little at his son's clear discomfort.

"Kyoya, the Hibaris have worked with the Suzukis for a long time; and you two are going to go together while she watches over you."

"I do not need a _baby-sitter_," Hibari snarled wrathfully. "I am a _carnivore_, and I will bite that she-herbivore to death if you ever-!"

"Kyoya, don't be a child." Fon chided softly.

"Fon, don't be an _ass_." Hibari shot back. "You are not my father, and never will be," He growled. Fon stood up, his motions blurring together fluidly like Hibari's when he was fighting.

"Kyoya, I do not want to do this, but your unruliness needs to be-,"

"I _hate_ you."

Fon stood silently, his eyes wide. The one thing that the father and son were different in.

Their eyes.

Steel blue glared at dark brown. Fon stood there, eyes wide, not saying anything. Hibari flinched at what Fon used to say.

_+Flashback+_

"_Kyoya, your eyes are so pretty; you have your mother's eyes." Fon kissed Hibari's forehead. "And I'll love you forever."_ _Hibari snuggled up close to his father's form, sandwiched between his sleeping mother and father. _

"_Love you too," He mumbled, uncomfortable with saying sappy stuff. Fon laughed, and hugged Hibari. _

"_Of course," He whispered. "I'll love you and your mother until the day after forever."_

_+End of Flashback+_

"You remarried," The skylark hissed. "But you had promised that you'd love Mother forever." Hibari remembered seeing his father with his new wife, and his heart hardened into stone; his father had betrayed his mother.

"Kyo-,"

"Don't even call my name, herbivore. You don't deserve it." Hibari snapped. "Disown me, hate me, I don't care. Just don't ever call me your son again." And he turned and strode out of his father's house, leaving everything behind.

Leaving his past behind.

His phone rang, and he looked at the ID. It was Chrome. But he was so angry and grieving for cutting all ties with his family that-

_He ended the call_.

And back at the hospital-

Chrome-

Dokuro-

Screamed.

_***K*H*R***_

_**Mwahahahaha! **__**Done! Please check out my new Fanfic, and check o**__**ut **__**chquine-harvinellisse**__**'s new Fanfic called 'It started with a question' and please review! I've been asking **__**chquine-harvinellisse**__** to make a sequel, but she needs more than seven requests. So please read and review for both me and **__**chquine-harvinellisse**__**! Thanks!**_


	13. Chapter 12

**_Disclaimers: I do not own KHR_**

Tsuna jolted out of his bed, screaming his heart out. It wasn't the regular shriek of 'HIEEEE!', but it was a pure, terrified, terror-filled scream.

"Let her go!" He screeched. "Let her go, _stop_, I can't take it anymore, I can't _see_, I can't _breathe,_ it _hurts,_ someone, help her!" Yamamoto and Gokudera, who had slept over that night, jerked awake and ran over to Tsuna. Yamamoto grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around the distressed brunette, restricting his movements.

"Tsuna!" He half-yelled, half-whispered. "Wake up! It's only a dream!" Yamamoto shook the sleeping boy. Gokudera watched worriedly.

"Tenth! Tenth, you're dreaming! Wake up!" He stood up. "I'll get Reborn-san!" and ran out of the room. Yamamoto shook the boy once more, and flinched when Tsuna's head lolled around.

His eyes were open, glazed over because he was unconscious. But the fact that his eyes were open made it even more frightening. Tsuna stared at the baseball nut unseeingly. Yamamoto looked at him uneasily. "T-Tsuna-?" he whispered uncertainly.

"Please," the boy moaned in return. "Let her go." His dull brown eyes slowly slid shut, and Tsuna sagged lifelessly in Yamamoto's arms. He had fallen asleep once again.

"Tsuna," Yamamoto whispered once again, unsure. "Tsuna, you okay?" Reborn walked in briskly.

"What's happening to Dame-Tsuna?" He demanded. Tsuna stirred, and then he opened his eyes blearily, before sitting up with a gasp.

"What's going on?" He asked wildly. "What time is it? Where are we? Where's Chrome?"

"Calm down, Dame-Tsuna," Reborn commanded gently. "Nothing's going on, you're oka-,"

"No! You don't understand!" He shrieked, and pulled himself free of Yamamoto's arms, falling to the ground because he was wrapped up in his blankets. He shook his head a little at the dizziness, but then he looked up at Reborn, and his eyes were serious.

"Chrome's in danger!" He shouted, wriggling. "We have to help her, and we have to help her _now_!"

**_*K*H*R*_**

Chrome backed up to the edge of the stall, and the man laughed. "Ahahaha, I never imagined it to be this easy! I thought you had a guard dog? What's his name? Hibari Kyoya?"

Chrome couldn't answer; she was too scared. She didn't even have her bag with her; her Desert Eagle and the smoke bomb Tsuna had given her were in her bag. He grinned, and pulled her chin up.

"Aww, don't be scared," he cooed. She began shaking as she watched him take out a needle. "This won't hurt a bit."

**_*K*H*R*_**

Hibari breathed out as he slowly walked back from the park. It was already dark, but he didn't go back to the hospital. It was too much. He needed to think. After about twenty of sitting on a bench alone, he slowly walked back to his motorcycle to stay with Chrome. His phone suddenly rang, and he picked up, irritated.

"What?"

{Hibari-san!} Tsuna shrieked. {Chrome is in danger!}

"What?" Hibari growled.

{They're hurting Chrome! Go and help-}

Hibari hung up and jumped onto his motorcycle. It roared to life, and he sped towards the hospital.

"Herbivores better not hurt her," he snarled, and blew past a red light. "I'll bite them all to death!"

**_*K*H*R*_**

Chrome screamed as the man advanced, and he crammed his fist into her mouth, her jaw stretching uncomfortably wide.

"Mmf-!" Her hands scrabbled uselessly against the back of his hands. When he merely grinned, she resorted to kicking him in the groin. He flinched, and then jammed the needle painfully in her neck. She yelped in pain, and tears smarted in her eyes.

Then her strength started giving out as she slowly sank to her knees. He pulled his fist out, wiping her saliva on her shirt. She grimaced when his face lit up when he ran a hand along her chest.

"S-Stop-!" She mumbled before succumbing to the darkness, his leering smirk imprinted in her mind.

**_*K*H*R*_**

Hibari stopped in front of the hospital and jumped off his motorcycle, running into the hospital. Looking around frantically, Hibari cursed many times in his mind. She had called him! He should've picked up! Goddammit!

He saw an old woman in a wheelchair, a janitor lugging a trash bag, a doctor wheeling his unconscious patient into the elevator-

But he didn't see Chrome.

He forced his panic down and pulled out his phone, dialing Chrome. He looked around to see if anyone's phone was ringing. Then he saw _the doctor_ reach over, pull his unconscious patient's _phone_ out, and hang up. Hibari and the doctor stared at each other for a second when the man smirked, and ripped his mask off, waving cheekily at Hibari. The skylark lunged, but the elevator doors slid shut.

"Dammit!" He cursed, turning around to sprint through the fire escape. He flung the door open and ran through, heart racing. He skidded to a stop when a car blew past him in the parking lot. He caught a glimpse of a man holding a girl in the car, and, growling, Hibari ran back to his motorcycle and kicked it to life, not bothering to put his helmet on.

He roared after the car, swerving in and out of the lanes expertly. He blew by the cars, barely hearing the honks and curses that were thrown at him. Concentrating on only catching the car, his eyes focused only on the car in front of him.

Hibari grabbed a pen from the inside of his blazer. His sharp eyes focused on the car's wheels, and then he hurled it with all his might.

The pen bounced uselessly off the tires.

Hibari screamed through his teeth in frustration. Stupid herbivores in movies put only stupid shit in them. He blinked, and suddenly swerved to the left, into the alleyways. Hibari grinned ferociously.

"Well, well, herbivores," he smirked. "I see how it is."

**_*K*H*R*_**

"Kid's stopped following us, Manny." A man reported, looking out the back window. The man driving breathed out in relief.

"Damn, that kid was scary. Did you guys see the look in his eyes?" They nodded and continued talking happily; their job was done. They had gotten what they wanted, and shook off the scary kid. The girl with purple hair was asleep in the back because of the sedative they had given her. One of the men eyed her.

"I know why Daemon-sama wants her," he leered, licking his lips. "She's quite the prize." The men laughed openly at the old man with glasses who had said that. One of the men clapped him on the back, chuckling.

"Aw, Birds, don't be gross! But damn," he looked over her. "She's got _good_ legs." Birds smirked and pushed his glasses up.

"See, Dill," he cooed. "Look at that white, _creamy_ skin; the soft, purple hair; the-," The whole car suddenly swerved, causing the men on board to cuss and yell.

"The fuck, Manny?" Dill cursed, rubbing his head; it had bumped into the window. "What the hell was that for?" Manny turned around, his eyes wild.

"T-This silver thingy came flying out of nowhere, and I had to avoid it, but it- it – it made a _crack_ in the windshield!" He sputtered, eyes wild and looking terrified.

"Turn around and focus on the damn road, Manny!" screamed Dill. "Or we're fucked!"

Too late.

A motorcycle came out from and alleyway and its rider jumped _off _the bike. Dill's eyes went wide as he opened his mouth to scream.

"The fu-!"

CRASH.

The rider entered through the side window, showering Dill, Birds, and the others with glass. Manny whimpered when the intruder pointed a silver thingy at his neck.

"Stop the car."

**_*K*H*R*_**

Hibari saw the car roar out in front of him, and he jumped off his motorcycle, smashing through the window and into the car. He stood up coolly and pointed a tonfa at the herbivore driving.

"Stop the car," he ordered quietly. Even though he said it quietly, the man driving immediately complied, driving over to a secluded alley. The men suddenly jolted to life when the car stopped, pulling out hidden weapons and such. The old man simply stared at Hibari.

"What the fuck, man? A-Are you crazy?" A man with red hair and a lot of piercings shouted, holding a crowbar. "You could've killed us!" Hibari turned to look coolly at him, glaring at the redhead.

"Watch your language." He said. The redhead shut up immediately, but continued to point the crowbar at him. Hibari suppressed the urge to roll his eyeballs. "Put that down or I'll bite you to death."

"'Bite us to death?'" A man with a shaved head jeered. "Do you think that we're fucking chew toys, or something, you dipshit?" Hibari smirked, baring his teeth.

"No," he said, and slammed a tonfa in the man's head, effectively knocking him unconscious. "Just a sack of meat to vent my anger on." The men scrambled out of the car, yelling. The old man picked up Chrome and ran out of the car.

"Cowardly herbivores!" He snarled, and jumped after the old man who was already panting. The skylark slammed a tonfa in the old man's back, and he squawked, sounding almost exactly like a bird. Hibari scrunched his face up at the thought before slamming a tonfa in the same spot again.

The old man tumbled to the ground, but he still held Chrome. Hibari growled and stalked over to the man, who scrambled up into a sitting position. He held a knife at her throat, and he was grinning perversely. Hibari didn't move, and the old man sneered.

"Ha, you youngsters always go for the girl," he shook his head as if he was ashamed. When Hibari made to step forward, he pressed the knife in her skin, a red line of blood appearing on her white skin and dripping slowly down her neck. "Tsk, tsk, tsk," he said, shaking his head.

Hibari didn't move, calculating his options. The other men had probably already fled, leaving the old man alone, which was the reason why his eyes kept darting around. If he was alone, then he had no one to rely on, thus taking Chrome as a hostage.

Coward.

Hibari glared as the old man chuckled at the pissed skylark. When Hibari moved again, the man suddenly grinned even wider, distorting his hideous features. Hibari struggled to keep his face devoid of disgust.

"Nah-uh~!" He sang. "You so much as twitch a finger without my permission, little lady here loses a piece of her clothing!" Hibari blinked as old man moved his knife to the collar of Chrome's jacket. In one swift motion, he tore through the front of her jacket, opening it to show the white t-shirt underneath. The prefect's eyes widened as he realized what was happening.

"Do it again, herbivore, and I swear I'll shove that knife somewhere painful." Hibari threatened. The man merely chuckled, and moved the knife again.

"You talked without my permission~!" He sang, and this time he ripped her two sleeves open, so the jacket slid off the unconscious girl completely. Hibari snarled, his whole body bristling.

"Now, what will you do?" The old man crooned softly.

**_*K*H*R*_**

Yamamoto ran out, grabbing his katana and jacket, Gokudera close behind. Tsuna was already halfway there with his cool gadget that Reborn had given him. Yeah, the one with the metallic gloves and fire and stuff. Yamamoto fired up his motorcycle; the old, trusty motorcycle that he had used to deliver sushi on some occasions. Gokudera hopped on behind, and barked out one, short command.

"Drive!"

The baseball nut grinned and kicked the motorcycle, the bike roaring to life and screeching out of the side of Takesushi. Yamamoto sped along the road, Gokudera muttering angrily in a language Yamamoto didn't understand. But he shrugged it off; after all, the Italian had made up a language for himself and believed in aliens. Surely what he was mumbling was a made-up language.

Gokudera's phone rang, and the Italian picked it up.

"Tenth!" He shouted to be heard over the noise. "Where are you? Have you found them yet?" Yamamoto cringed; although it was loud here and you had to shout to be heard, Tsuna could probably hear him clearly. Gokudera suddenly leaned over and shouted in the athlete's ear: "Turn left!"

The baseball nut jerked at the handles, his fast reflexes keeping them from falling over. He heard Gokudera mumble something before he shouted in Yamamoto's ear again.

"Now turn right!"

Yamamoto dutifully followed Gokudera's orders, before the Italian ordered him to cut the engine. The baseball nut turned his motorcycle off, and Gokudera stepped off and motioned for him to be quiet. The athlete followed him, tiptoeing. The silver-headed teen pointed around a corner, and he spotted Hibari standing in front of an old man who was holding Chrome.

She was unconscious, and her jacket was lying on the ground next to her. The athlete's eyes narrowed as he unsheathed his katana. As he made to run forward, the Italian jerked him back by the collar. Yamamoto winced and rubbed his neck. Turned to look at Gokudera questioningly, the Italian seemed to anticipate his question.

"Wait," he mouthed, his green eyes glittering in the dark. Yamamoto tilted his head, and Gokudera shook his head and jerked his head towards Hibari and Chrome again. Peering out cautiously from behind the alley wall, the Italian tapped him on the shoulder.

He turned around, and Gokudera pointed to the sky, smirking. Yamamoto looked up, and saw Tsuna _flying_. His hands were on fire with the gloves, and his head had an orange flame in the middle of it. His eyes weren't the caramel brown that the baseball nut was used to, but a bright, unnatural shade of orange. Tsuna's eyes were serious and solemn, and he was wearing headphones.

"Hey," Tsuna called out, and Hibari and the old man whipped around to look for the voice. They looked at Tsuna, and the old man's jaw dropped. He squawked, sounding remarkably like a bird. "What are you doing to my friend?"

Tsuna's voice was lower, more mature. His eyes glared coolly at the old man below, and Yamamoto had to suppress a shiver at his friend's sudden growth. The old man struggled to keep his smirk up.

"Heh, I'm not doing anything," he jerked his head at Hibari, "This man's scaring the living daylights out of me and my friend. My pretty lady friend here fell unconscious in fear." Tsuna's eyes narrowed to slits at the lie.

"You're lying," he said icily. The old man paled, before putting on that ugly smile again.

"Ho, ho! You're good!" He grinned. "What's your name, boy?"

"Tell me yours," Tsuna began, eyes cold and calculating. "And I'll tell you mine." The old man contemplated for a moment before nodding.

"I'm Birds. I specialize with training of birds. Canaries, especially." Yamamoto was so intent on watching that he barely felt Gokudera's hard poke on the shoulder. The hot-headed Italian poked him again, harder.

"Ow!" He mouthed, rubbing his arm and turning to look at Gokudera. "What?" He whispered. The Italian teen pushed him aside and clicked his ring to a box that hung by his belt. A skull-arm thingy popped out, attaching itself to Gokudera's left arm. Concentrating hard, Gokudera aimed it at the car next to Birds and Hibari.

"When I shoot that piece of junk, it's going to burst into flame. It'll be a distraction and when they're distracted, I need you to go and get to that Birds dude and hold your sword thingy at his neck and threaten him. However, people like him always have back-up, so when they come out, Tenth will come and knock him out. Got it?" He hissed quietly at Yamamoto.

Yamamoto nodded as if he understood, then he said, "Nope!" Gokudera scowled so ferociously the athlete took a step back, holding his hands up. "Mah, mah, let's not get violent, shall we?" The Italian face-palmed.

"Look, here it is: I shoot the car like, _bam bam! A_nd when it goes, _boom_, it'll distract them, you threaten Birds like 'LET GO OF HER!', and when the old man's back-up comes in like 'HYAHHH!', Tenth will come flying in like _whoosh_, he'll save Chrome, and it's happy ever after, yay. Understand now?" Gokudera said this while gesturing wildly with both hands and making noises like what Yamamoto would do when he explained something. Yamamoto grinned, with understanding.

"Roger!"

**_*K*H*R*_**

Gokudera blushed furiously in anger that he had to stoop that low to _hand motions_ and freaking_ kiddy noises._ Who the fuck was that baseball idiot kidding? Grumbling internally, he aimed his weapon at the car and let loose.

The car exploded, and as Gokudera expected, both Hibari and the Birds guy whipped around to look at the car.

"The hell?" Birds screeched. "What's going on?" Yamamoto suddenly appeared behind the old man and pointed his katana at Birds' neck. His soft brown eyes were now cold and serious, and Gokudera had to suppress a shiver at the athlete's expression.

"Let go of her. Now." commanded Yamamoto, pressing the blade deeper into the old man's skin. Birds turned and grinned cheekily at Yamamoto.

"Make me~!" He sang just as two gruesome looking people appeared behind Yamamoto. Gokudera grinned; the old man had back-up, just like what he had suspected. As the two ugly people raised their knives to stab Yamamoto, Tsuna materialized behind them.

"Surprise." He said, and did a roundhouse kick. The other person screeched as its accomplice went down. As it ran towards Tsuna, he held his hand out and it began to shine brightly. A jet of flame let loose and the man went down.

The flames doused themselves after the man collapsed. Gokudera grinned; as expected of the Tenth. Hibari walked over calmly to where Yamamoto, the old man, and Chrome were. The baseball nut pressed the blade in deeper in the man's neck. Birds paled considerably.

"W-Wait! H-Here, take her!" He let go of Chrome, and Hibari walked up and gently picked her up. The Italian was surprised by the action; the prefect never seemed to show any emotion, but the look of softness that passed through Hibari's eyes was shocking.

"Herbivores," he began, looking at them. "Good job." He nodded to everyone, and then turned to look at where Gokudera was hiding.

"Come out already, octopus-herbivore." He said. The Italian was impressed; he knew that Gokudera was hiding here. Then, when what Hibari said sank in, he stepped out angrily, running towards Hibari.

"Oi, watch it, you bastard!" He growled. The baseball star stood in between then, and held his hands up.

"Mah, mah, let's not get into a fight now," he said pacifyingly. Gokudera scowled at the baseball nut.

"Go away," he snapped, green eyes flashing. "Before I blow your brains out." Hibari merely smirked, and walked away. Minutes later, they heard a motorcycle roar up and drive away. Tsuna looked down at the cowering Birds before he pressed his headphone.

"Reborn," he began, glaring coldly at the whimpering old man. "We've got him."

**_*K*H*R*_**

Hibari placed Chrome gently onto his futon before standing up to get a wet cloth. He filled a small bowl with water and put a small facecloth inside, wetting it. Walking back briskly towards the sleeping Chrome, he washed her face, arms, and neck.

"Hibari! Hibari!" Hibird cheeped, flying around his head frantically. "Chrome okay?" The skylark smiled, and nodded.

"She's okay," he informed the distressed canary, and it gave a sigh before settling down at the crook of Chrome's arm. Roll waddled out from nowhere, black eyes worried as it nudged Chrome's still body.

"Kupii?" It squeaked softly. The prefect tapped it on the nose and pulled the covers over the sleeping girl.

"Shh," Hibari warned the animals, and the trio tiptoed out of the skylark's bedroom. He slipped out of his school clothes and into a _yukata. _He then walked out of the bathroom and made his way to the kitchen. Silently, Hibari walked to the fridge to make himself a little midnight snack. The prefect smiled as his feet made almost no sound on his floor, and he also liked the feeling of the _tatami_ mats on his bare feet.

The prefect's house was modeled after a traditional Japanese house. Hibari slid the back door open and walked out onto the porch. There was a table and a mat on the floor, where often sat on it drinking tea and looking out to his garden. It was a nice garden full of koi fish and little pebbles strewn here and there. The water was cold and clear, and the fish colored and bright, making everything peaceful and serene.

Sipping his tea, Hibari stared out at his garden, the darkness making everything shadowed and dark. His koi were sleeping; they were drifting quietly in the pool. The prefect sighed, and finishing his tea, he walked over to the pool, walking on the stone path.

The stone were cool to the touch; his feet gladly welcomed the soothing feel as he padded over to the pond. Trailing his slender white fingers into the pond, his fish darted away before the recognized him. They nibbled his fingers, and he allowed a small smile to grace his features. Then, pulling his fingers out and walking back to his house, he pulled out an identical futon and set it beside Chrome.

Settling down into it and closing his eyes, the prefect drifted off to sleep.

_It is light._

_Hibari slowly opens his eyes and marvels at how _clear _everything is. The light shines through the water in little slits, and his hair sways in the water. Then it hits him- he is underwater. At that thought, his lungs feel as if they are about to burst, and frantically, he swims upwards for air. As his head breaks the surface, he gulps in air gratefully. The water is cold and clear and refreshing. Laughing aloud like never before, he dives back into the water, and suddenly Chrome is next to him, swimming with him and smiling beautifully._

_He smiles softly and together they swim through the water, their hair waving madly. As they burst through the surface for air, she breaks into giggles, and he allows a smile. Pulling his hand, she swims toward shore. Reluctantly, he follows, and they walk out of the water onto the sand. Chrome is wearing a white sundress that clings to her because of the water. Hibari dons a white dress shirt and black slacks- his school uniform. _

_At that moment, before Hibari can get a good look at her, she turns around to face him and _rips off her eye patch. _He stumbles back in shock as he sees a mutilated eye, covered with skin and squinting. It is a little red and puckered. Chrome takes a nervous step forward, wringing her hands together. _

_'I wanted to show you,' she says softly, uncertainly. 'But I wasn't sure how.' He smiles, steps forward, and places a soft kiss on her right eye. _

_'It's okay,' he tells her, smiling. 'I understand.' She looks at him, eye wide with hope, before that light fades and she disappears, leaving Hibari in darkness._

_'Wait!' he calls out in panic, hand reaching out. The scenery whirls around him, and then it melts into a warehouse. Warily, he steps in, and hears a thump. His tonfas come out in a second when he hear another thump, then a scream. He walks toward the sound briskly, ready for an attack. He hears mad cackling, then, when he steps out into the middle of the warehouse, he sees it. _

_Men are standing in a semi-circle around a girl, beating her mercilessly. She hangs from the ceiling by her hands, and the men take turns to hit her. He runs forward, snarling._

_'This is defiling discipline!' he roars, and hits the first one on the head. He stumbles a bit when his hand goes through. He blinks in astonishment, is he a ghost? But when he turns to observe the girl closely- he hears banging._

Hibari opened his eyes.

He sat up quickly, turning to look at the place where Chrome was sleeping. It was empty; the blanket of the futon was curled up messily. Growling quietly, he stood up and walked around the house to look for her. Roll rode on his shoulder while Hibird flew around his head. He found her in the kitchen, pulling out yogurt and cereal. He saw a pan of frying bacon.

After setting the yogurt, cereal, orange juice, and milk down, she turned to the bacon and flipped it over. When she cracked an egg into another hot pan, the prefect suppressed a grin.

"Herbivore," he began, and Chrome squeaked in surprise, whirling around to look at him. He was amused, and she nervously laughed.

"C-Cloud Person," she said shakily. "Y-You're awake. How was your sleep?" Hibari gave a 'hn' and walked over to the table. Pulling the top off of the yogurt, he poured it over his cereal. Shoving a mouthful of yogurt and cereal into his mouth, he turned to scowl at the watching girl.

"Hurry up and finish cooking me eggs and bacon," he ordered, and she nodded, smiling. Putting a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of him, she walked over to the cupboards and took out a bottle of ketchup. Chrome set that down in front of the skylark too.

Hibari raised an eyebrow. "What about you, herbivore?" The purple-haired girl blinked.

"Oh, I'm intruding already, Cloud Person, so I won't impose on you anymore by eating your-,"

"Eat." He commanded.

"Yes sir," she gulped nervously, and stood up to cook a plate for herself. Hibird settled himself on the top of the fridge and Roll slept on the table.

After cooking a whole plate of bacon and eggs, she placed it in the middle of the table so the prefect could have seconds. The two sat in comfortable silence, munching on the hot breakfast.

"How are you, herbivore?" Hibari asked, surveying her. She stiffened.

"I'm go-,"

"Don't lie," he ordered. "I hate herbivores who lie." She nibbled on her lip nervously as Hibari put a mouthful of eggs and bacon in his mouth. Hibird flew over and pecked it bacon as Roll stared hopefully at his plate.

"No," He whispered angrily at them. Chrome was immersed in her thoughts, and did not hear. The yellow canary gave an indignant chirp and ruffled his wings. Roll woke up and also let out a distressed mew. "Okay, stupid pets, take the cereal." He muttered sourly, placing his bowl of cereal discreetly onto the floor. He picked the hedgehog up and placed him by the bowl as the canary flew down and started pecking at the cereal energetically.

The two animals ate quietly, not bothering him. He sighed in relief, and turned back to Chrome, who was absentmindedly munching on a forkful of eggs.

"Herbivore," he prompted the girl, and she jumped a little, looking at the skylark apologetically.

"Sorry," she mumbled. Picking up her glass, she swallowed a mouthful of orange juice. After setting it down and wiping her mouth neatly with a napkin, she said, "Well, I … I don't know who they're after." He furrowed his brows in confusion.

"What?" He snapped irritatedly. She looked him straight in the eye this time.

"I'm worried, Cloud Person. I don't know what they're trying to achieve." She said clearly. He inwardly smiled; she was getting a backbone.

"Oh?" he said, observing her. She nodded, and shoveled a piece of egg into her mouth. Munching on it, she seemed to be deep in thought. Hibari stared for another moment before he inwardly shrugged and concentrated on finishing his breakfast. They soon cleared their plates and stood up to wash them in the sink.

"I'm going to wash up," Chrome told him after they finished, and he nodded. The prefect let her shower first, like a gentleman. While he waited, he read a book silently as his animals snuggled with him. Then, snapping the book closed smartly, he tucked it into its rightful place in his bookshelf.

Chrome emerged from the shower, wearing Hibari's old white dress shirt and shorts. The dress shirt was too big; she had to roll the sleeves up. His old shorts fit her, however. They were his old gym shorts, and he had never worn them, for he hated flashing his legs at people. It was dark blue; and the white, baggy dress shirt and fit pants set the look off perfectly. It made her look cute and polite, in the skylark's opinion.

Toweling her hair dry, she approached the prefect.

"You can go in now, Cloud Person." He nodded, and stepped into the shower, allowing the warm water to soothe his muscles. These days nothing was normal. Brushing his teeth after he got out, he spat neatly into the sink and stepped out, shaking his hair dry like a dog. He heard a small, stifled giggle. Turning around to look at Chrome, she covered her mouth hurriedly.

"Something wrong, herbivore?" He asked coolly. The purple-haired girl shook her head madly, eye glinting with mischief. He raised an eyebrow, letting a small smile grace his features. "Really?" He challenged.

"Yes,' she replied, sounding breathless with concealed laughter. He bared his teeth in a feral smile before launching himself at her. He began jabbing her sides, and she trembled with laughter.

"Stop!" She squealed, ineffectively trying to stop him. Hibari smiled and continued tickling her, Hibird flying excitedly around their heads. "Please, Cloud Person!" She wheezed, and before he could continue tormenting her, his phone began ringing. The prefect ignored it and poked her. Tears of laughter were gathering in her eye, and she pleaded for him to stop.

"P-Phone!" She gasped, tears coming out. Hibari huffed and let go of her, picking up his phone.

"Hibari speaking," he announced, watching amusedly as Chrome tried to regain her breath.

{Ah, Kyo-san.} It was Tetsuya. He nodded.

"Yes, Tetsu?"

{There seems to be a… problem at school.} Hibari growled.

"What problem?" He snarled. The skylark heard the other man gulping audibly.

{Y-You see, Kyo-san, the new students… they've, um, well, just the woman, she kind took over the-the board.} Hibari did not expect that. Furrowing his brows, he paced.

"What do you mean?" He snapped, and Chrome seemed to understand that something weird was going on. Quietly, she petted Roll and Hibird, not wishing to disturb Hibari. The prefect appreciated that.

{K-Kyo-san, the woman came in, saying that y-you… were resigning and were going to England… not that I'm not happy for you, but…} Hibari sighed, rubbing his temples. That stupid Suzuki herbivore was such a big nuisance.

"But what, Tetsu?" He growled.

{Are you really going to England with _her?_} He blurted out. Hibari blinked before growling savagely.

"Tetsu, you are not going to repeat this to anyone. I am going to take care of that delusional female herbivore. Got that?"

{Yes sir.} The other replied, and hung up. When he turned, Chrome looked up at him expectantly.

"It's the stupid female herbivore," he informed her, and Chrome's eyebrows came together in confusion.

"'F-Female herbivore'?" He sighed and massaged his temples.

"The Suzuki one. I hate her," he grumbled, pouting a little. He didn't know that he was though, and because of this, Chrome smiled.

"Oh, Cloud Person," she sighed, giggling a little. "You are too immature sometimes."

"What?"

"Oh, nothing." Chrome said hurriedly, stifling her giggles. His eyes narrowed, and she covered her mouth.

"Nothing at all."

**_*K*H*R*_**

After that incident, everything was quiet for quite a good, long while. Reborn had kept Birds in jail, but somehow, when they opened the prison door so Reborn could interrogate Birds, the old man was slouched in his seat, unmoving, jacket covering most of him. When the home tutor pulled the jacket off, the body erupted into dozens of yellow canaries that flew out.

Birds had escaped.

Although the home tutor was pissed, everything was normal. But something wasn't right for Chrome.

The Kokuyo gang never came to school anymore. Mukuro was never around; it seemed that he really was terrified of her 'bad luck'. She smiled wistfully. Tsuna and the gang kept her company, and during lunch, she liked to go up to the reception room to help Hibari.

Lunchtime was quiet and peaceful, just like how Hibari and Chrome liked it. She smiled; everything before seemed like a bad dream. Excluding Mukuro, everything disastrous was over. Nothing was going to go wrong, Chrome was sure.

Mammon was recuperating back at home, and was starting to remember. She had already remembered who Fran was. Skull was distressed by the fact that she couldn't remember anything, but he stayed faithfully by her side, taking care of her. He now slept over at Chrome's house, and Skull would take care of her.

He would go to work and come back right when work was over. There, he would take care of Mammon: he would feed her, read to her, talk to her, and keep her company. Chrome would wash the older woman because she still couldn't walk by herself. Although her leg was amputated, the older woman didn't seem to mind it. Skull would wheel her out to the garden and such, and as long as he was by her side, she was okay.

Chrome sighed, leaning back on the couch. Hibari raised an eyebrow.

"Something wrong, herbivore?" He asked. She shook her head, smiling a little.

"Nope. It's nothing."

**_*K*H*R*_**

Daemon smiled and cackled madly. Extending a long and elegant finger, he pushed a little knight off his chessboard. He watched as it fell onto the carpet.

"My, my, things sure are interesting," he said, turning towards the corner in the darkness of the room. Daemon grinned at the person who was half-standing outside of the shadows. "Isn't it, _Enma_-kun?"

The redhead's solemn face was half-hidden in shadow. He didn't reply.

"Nufufufu," Daemon chuckled. "This is going to be _fun_."

**_*K*H*R*_**

**_MWAHAHAHA! I'M FINALLY DONE! Thank you so much, _****_chquine-harvinellisse_****_ for beta-ing everything. I don't know what I would do without you! :D Anyhoo, sorry for this kind of short chapter. I got a writer's block and I just sat here like a lump, staring at the screen as if the letters were going to type themselves. I will be on hiatus for a while for this story, but 'Never Before Seen'_****_ is on full speed ahead! So please check it out if you haven't! School is wicked busy, so please be understanding. Oh, and don't be shy to send me a PM, I don't mind at all!_**

**_Reviews?_**


	14. Chapter 13

_**Disclaimers: I do not own Katekyo Hitman Reborn**_

Chrome watched curiously as Hibari showered the school rooftop with bread crumbs.

"What are you doing?" She asked as the skylark tossed the last of the crumbs onto the roof. Silently, he lifted a finger to his lips to indicate silence. The girl watched as Hibari stood in the rooftop silently, still as a statue. Then, without warning, a whole flock of tiny little birds surrounded him, pecking the bread crumbs and cheeping happily, snuggling up against him.

Chrome smiled.

He was obviously at ease with the tiny sparrows and finches and other types of birds she couldn't recognize. The prefect watched as the crumbs disappeared. With loud chirps, the birds snuggled up to him one last time before they lifted up and flapped away. Hibari turned to look at Chrome.

Raising an elegant eyebrow, he asked, "Well?"

Chrome's heart swelled with happiness that he had allowed her to see his secret. She smiled happily. Hibari allowed a small smirk and beckoned her to come closer. The purple-haired girl walked towards him curiously and hesitantly took his outstretched hand.

He turned her small hand over, spreading her fingers apart. "Go ahead," he said, pouring crumbs into her palm. She blinked, feeling the gritty feel of bread crumbs in her hand. Scattering them on the roof, she tried to stand as still as Hibari did when he had thrown the crumbs. After a few minutes, birds also flocked her, chirping excitedly. However, they would only eat the crumbs and not go near her, snuggling up to Hibari instead. Chrome tried not to feel put down.

"They don't know you yet," he explained. She nodded in understanding.

"Okay, Cloud Person." She said simply, watching the birds contently. After they had flown away, the most surprising thing happened.

He suddenly leaned in and pressed his lips against her cheek softly. Blinking in surprise, she turned to him. He allowed a small smile before walking to the door.

"Herbivore," he said with a nod before walking away.

Chrome could only stare in shock.

_***K*H*R***_

Luche held a cough back, pressing her lips into a thin line. Reborn was asleep, and if she coughed, he would wake up immediately. He was a very light sleeper. Her body jerked silently with each cough as she coughed into her pressed lips.

Standing up, she made her way into the bathroom and drank a glass of water, hoping to soothe her throat. She gritted her teeth when she remembered when her doctors had suggested that she stay in the hospital where they could keep an eye on her.

Keep her where Reborn would know that she was sick? Let him suffer while she slowly withered away before his eyes? Living her last moments pumped full of drugs and be so high that she wouldn't even remember Reborn?

No.

She was going to live her last moments happily. As happily as possible, anyway. Closing her eyes, she crammed a hand into her mouth to stop from screaming. God dammit, she was scared! She was so scared of dying! Was there another world like heaven and hell? Or would it be just like sleeping, but never to wake up? There wasn't even the color black in sleep; there was just an empty space. Would she know nothing, but only rot in the dirt as maggots slowly ate her? Or would she go to hell, where everything would hurt?

Shaking, she calmed herself down, not allowing herself to think about death.

But she was so scared.

_***K*H*R***_

The next day, Chrome met up with Hibari at lunch. He pretended as if nothing had happened, and Chrome was happy to know that everything wasn't awkward. Munching on her sushi contently, everything was calm and quiet. Hibari worked on his papers, writing in quick motions, sliding his pen across the page rapidly. It was as if the pen was dancing.

Chrome watched as the prefect worked steadily, the pile of papers slowly diminishing. The girl was worried; Hibari never seemed to take any breaks whatsoever. Standing up quietly as to not disturb the working skylark, she made her way over to the cupboard and proceeded to make Hibari a cup of green tea.

When she had finished, the prefect had shown no signs of stopping. Setting the traditional Japanese cup onto his desk with a soft _clink,_ she stepped back and waited for him to take a break.

He didn't.

He probably didn't even notice that the cup was there.

Chrome gritted her teeth and called out a tentative, "Cloud Person?" hoping that he would stop working and just take a moment to relax. He looked up, scowling.

"Herbivore, I need to work," he said before bending down, and the pen began dancing once more. Chrome's good eye narrowed.

"No." Hibari stiffened, and the smooth, rapid strokes of the pen stopped. Slowly, he looked up, a glint in his eagle eyes.

"What, herbivore?" he challenged her. Swallowing her saliva nervously, she spoke again.

"You should take a break, Cloud Person. I made you some green tea." She gestured towards the still steaming cup. He looked surprised at the cup; apparently, he had not noticed when she had put it on his desk. The skylark looked back up to her and she simply stared back. He smirked a little, and nodded, picking up the cup and sipping it.

He looked surprised for a moment. Chrome was curious.

"What? Is it bad? I can make you another, if you like, Cloud Person," the girl said hastily, turning to the cupboard once more.

"No," he interrupted. "It's good." The purple-haired girl heard him take another sip, along with a contented sigh. Beaming, but not letting him see how happy she was, she went back to the couch to finish her bento before the lunch bell rang.

And the two sat quietly, enjoying their bento and tea together.

_***K*H*R***_

Mukuro placed the pictures out strategically, eyeing each one with his mismatched eyes. M.M stood next to him, eyes cold and calculating.

"Mukuro-chan, I think some of them are imposters," she said, placing an elegant, manicured finger onto one of the pictures. She motioned towards the rest, adding, "It's impossible for him to get from Namimori Square to the park in less than five seconds. These pictures were taken approximately from 1:45 through 2:00." The redhead gestured to the first picture of Daemon in the ice-cream store before appearing at Department-Depo. The last picture was showing Daemon standing in front of Erika's English school (2).

Mukuro narrowed his mismatched eyes at the pictures. "You don't know him like I do, M.M." He growled at the pictures as if they were a threat. "It is completely possible for this bastard to be in all of these places in a short amount of time." He continued. The redhead glanced at him, but let it pass. She opened her notebook and sat down.

"Alright, first he was seen at the Depo, then at the ice-cream store." M.M drew a timeline, writing the names down. "Then, he was walking past Erika's-," M.M cut herself off, biting her lip. Mukuro snapped his head towards her, eyes blaring.

"What, M.M?" He snarled. The redhead chewed her lip thoughtfully, before turning to her laptop, tapping on the keys. "_What?_" he repeated, his mismatched eyes narrowing. M.M. zoomed in on the three pictures, crinkling her brow. Then she let out a sigh, pushing the laptop towards Mukuro.

"It's not him," she sighed, indicating to the picture where Daemon was in front of the ice cream store. "See his hairline? Its starts off as brown, before getting cut off to be blue." She slapped her hand onto the table angrily. "It's a wig. They're all fakes. That's how he's getting everywhere; he's using decoys."

Mukuro narrowed his eyes. "He's toying with us," he snarled, noticing that in each picture his brother's henchmen were wearing smirks. "He's only toying with us, that bastard." The purple-haired teen slammed his palms onto the desk, causing M.M to jump in fear. The man's mismatched eyes glittered as he turned to M.M.

"M.M., use your hacking skills to find out _everything_ about his accomplices, where he has been, who Daemon is, and how he got out of Vendicare. I expect a report by tomorrow, got that?" M.M nodded, before patting Mukuro's hand soothingly.

"Mukuro-chan, we'll find him and get him. It'll be okay." She said, and pressed a chaste kiss to his forehead, standing up on her toes to reach. "Everything will be alright," she assured and hurried off with her laptop.

Mukuro watched her walk off, before his red eye began to spin. Turning to the shadows, he hissed out a little command.

"Fuuta, go to Daemon and get recruited; with your talents at analyzing things, it won't be hard." The young boy nodded dumbly, his eyes glazed over. Tucking his huge notebook with contained all of his analyses of different people, Fuuta walked off without a second glance back. Mukuro watched as the little boy disappeared. He smiled grimly.

"Ku, I wonder if that little boy will make it out alive."

_***K*H*R***_

"Ugh… that boy was so scary!" A man with a beard and glasses moaned. "I got the girl, took her to the car, and we were about to get away, but he followed! Dill's got a concussion and I think Manny's scarred for life." The man grumbled to a blonde, who also had glasses on. The blonde smacked him.

"Julie, it was your fault that he followed! If you were more careful, none of this would've happened! And now, the damn car's broken!" The blonde scowled ferociously. Julie held his hands up defensively.

"Hey now, Koyo! Calm down!" Julie said hurriedly, not wanting to pick a fight. Koyo sniffed disdainfully, turning away. The bearded man sighed, and he jumped when he heard the door knock. Koyo whipped around, crouching into a boxing stance.

"Julie," he hissed, eyes on the door. "Get the others. I'll take a look." Julie disappeared, and Koyo stalked forward, and peered through the peephole.

It was a small, brown-haired boy who looked to be no older than eight. Wearing a red scarf and holding a humongous book, the boy timidly reached up to knock on the door again. The blonde yanked the door open before the brunette could knock.

"Who the hell are you?" he snapped rudely. The boy stared at him with wide eyes. Clutching the book tighter to him, he whispered his name.

"Fuuta. I'm Fuuta." He whispered softly. Koyo crossed his arms, eyeing the boy.

"What do you want, _Fuuta_?" he tested the name, and it sounded familiar. The boy rearranged his red scarf nervously.

Clearing his throat, he said, "I don't want to speak to you. You're not the top boss." Koyo twitched; who did this kid think he was? The boy continued, as if oblivious to the blonde's thoughts. "Bosses don't answer the door, nor do they answer the doors rudely. It might scare clients away. Judging by the glasses, blonde hair, and irritated look, I suspect that you're not even close to be a person of high rank. I need to write this down." The irritating kid bent down, opened his giant book, and began to write.

The book was full of messy, scrawled letters, and the boy was writing furiously. Julie came from behind Koyo, surprising the hot-headed blonde.

"A boy? You overreacted over a _boy_?" the bearded man snickered, and the younger blonde promptly hit him on the head.

"Shut up," he snarled, and he turned to the boy. "Why are you here? How did you get here?" Koyo demanded. Julie chuckled.

"You're using the brains your mother gave you. Good job, Koyo." The said man gave him and icy glare, and Julie immediately stopped laughing, rearranging his features to look solemn. It was almost comical.

"I want to join you guys." Fuuta said, closing his book smartly with a snap. Julie burst out laughing, as well as Birds, whom the bearded man had brought along.

"Ahaha! Nice one!" he wheezed after a while. But when Fuuta continued to look at him expectantly, the laughter died away. Julie stared at Fuuta incredulously. "Wait, you're serious?"

Fuuta nodded.

"Nufufu," a chuckled echoed eerily. "The famous Ranking Prince Fuuta. Welcome. I'm Daemon Spade." Daemon materialized out of nowhere, chuckling madly. Koyo, Birds, and Julie stepped backwards respectfully. Daemon knelt down in front of the young boy, making him the same height as Fuuta.

"Daemon-san," the young boy began quietly. "I want to join you." Daemon raised an elegant eyebrow.

"Oh? Nufu, this is surprising. May I ask why?"

"Rokudo hurt me," the boy's eyes filled with tears. "Rokudo hurt me. I want to hurt him." Daemon nodded understandingly.

"Of course," he said graciously. "You may join. Your analyzing skills and ability to rank people are quite impressive. You will be a great addition to our team. That is, nufu, if you really want to join." Extending a hand towards the brunette, Daemon smirked, waiting for Fuuta to take it.

The boy hesitated. Daemon waited, and the people around watched with bated breath. Fuuta took the crouching man's hand, before whipping out a knife and swung it down towards Daemon.

But the blue-haired man had anticipated it, countering the knife with his scythe. Knocking the knife away, Daemon restrained the brunette, all the while laughing madly.

"Nufufufu! You're under Mukuro's curse! My, my, what _audacity_ he has, to send a controlled, pathetic little boy to me." Fuuta's eyes went wide as he struggled to get out of Daemon's grip. The said man turned the boy around, looking into the younger boy's eyes.

They were glazed over, a clear sign that he was being controlled.

Daemon grinned, as his right eye glowed brighter. He stood up, throwing the boy to the ground. "Mukuro, my little brother. This is a message for you." He said, raising his scythe, a glint in his eyes.

And the boy's screams echoed throughout the compound as blood splashed onto the floor.

_***K*H*R***_

Hibari walked Chrome home, the two walking in comfortable silence. The clouds were rumbling, and it looked as if it was going to rain. Chrome didn't mind, though. As weird as it was, she liked walking in the rain. Hibari shot a look at her when she gave a small giggle.

"What, herbivore?" She smiled happily, practically skipping.

"I like walking in the rain. It's soothing," she explained. The prefect stared, his face scrunching up in distaste. Chrome smiled even wider. "Cloud Person doesn't like it?" He said nothing, his face sullen and moody. The rain slowly began to fall, and Chrome laughed aloud, tilting her head up to the sky. Pouring steadily and heavily, within minutes the two were drenched, their uniforms clinging to them.

Chrome laughed at Hibari's expression. He looked like a wet cat. Grabbing his hand without really thinking about it, she pulled him over to a puddle and proceeded to jump into it, making it splash onto him. He growled and he began to chase the laughing girl.

Shrieking with laughter, she just barely managed to avoid his hands. Suddenly, without any warning, a yellow, wet ball of feathers barreled into her face.

"Chrome! Caught!" Hibird chirped happily. At the distraction, Hibari seized her around the waist and lifted her up onto his shoulder. Gasping with surprise, Chrome tried to get out of his hold, her hands scrabbling uselessly at his shoulders.

"Cloud Person! No! Wait!" she gasped, breathless from laughter.

"No." He replied stoutly. Helplessly, she bounced on his shoulder as he walked towards a tree to wait for the rain to stop. He set her down gently. Chrome pouted childishly; she had wanted to continue to play in the rain. Suddenly, the skylark shook his head, drying his hair like a dog. Chrome gasped as the cold drops came raining down on her.

"C-Cloud Person!" she yelped, her hands held out to shield herself from the onslaught of raindrops. "It's- it's cold!" He stopped, smirking. The smirk practically said "It's your fault."

Chrome stuck her tongue out in retaliation, and he merely sighed at her. Leaning against the tree, the two waited for the rain to stop. After a while, the girl began to shiver. Hibari noticed, but he couldn't do anything because they were both wet. As the rain slowed down to a drizzle, Chrome suggested that they risk it and run back to her house. He contemplated for a while, before nodding.

The two of them set out, running as fast as they could. After training with Lal and Collonello, Chrome had strengthened her muscles, so she wasn't as slow as before. Now, she could keep up with Hibari.

She felt Hibari's shock and inwardly smiled. They slowed to a stop at her front door, and Chrome went in, shivering. Dumping her soaked school bag onto the floor, she called out for Fran.

"Fran, I'm back. Cloud Person is here too." She announced. Fran popped his head through the door in the kitchen. He waved a spatula around with a bored expression.

"Oh, Chrome, good. I was starting to get worried. You," he pointed at Hibari, "… can stay here and dry off." He drawled, before he disappeared back into the kitchen. Hibari watched with an amused look. Giggling quietly, Chrome tugged on the skylark's wet sleeve.

"Come on," she said softly, and they went up the stairs. Chrome went into the guest room, where Skull currently occupied the room. However, Skull preferred to sleep with Mammon, and Mammon didn't like sleeping without Skull. Opening the closet door, she pulled out a white collared shirt and black pants. Chrome handed them to Hibari.

"It's Skull-san's, but it's the biggest we have. Fran's too small, sorry." She said apologetically. Hibari gave a 'Hn', and turned to walk out. "Cloud Person, I'll go heat up the water." She said, and he nodded stoically. Chrome was confused.

As she turned to faucet on, she thought back to what happened. At first, the skylark had even played with her in the rain, but now everything was awkward. Why? Biting her lip, she stood up, not really paying attention to where she was going. Chrome admitted that she had been a little out of character, laughing and screaming like crazy, but why was everything awkward? She called to Hibari as she walked out and…

…slipped on a bar of soap.

Crashing onto the floor and crying out in pain, Chrome clutched her ankle and bit her lip. Shakily, she stood up, holding her ankle and hopping in place, but she tripped backwards and fell into the shower, the hot water drenching her. Chrome yelped in pain once more as she hit the hard tiles again. Hibari rushed in, looking around frantically.

Spotting Chrome in the shower, he strode over briskly. He squatted down, looking at her. "What happened, herbivore?" he asked. Chrome whimpered, closing her lone eye.

"I fell," she muttered, feeling embarrassed and ashamed. Gently, but firmly, Hibari pried her fingers away from her ankle. Chrome let out a breath as she tried not to cry out in pain. However, Hibari noticed. He reached over and turned off the faucet, before he slowly helped her up. Chrome leaned against him, refusing to put any weight on her bad ankle.

She hobbled after Hibari, who, after a while got annoyed with her slowness. The skylark suddenly lifted her up and slung her casually over his shoulder, before continuing to walk briskly. Chrome gasped with surprise.

"C-Cloud Person? What-?"

"Stop moving," he snapped. Chrome shut her mouth so fast that her teeth clashed together with an audible _click_. Face flaming in mortification, she allowed herself to be carried like a rag doll to her room. Hibari put her down gently on the bed before getting a towel for her.

The prefect had dried off considerably, but he was still a little damp here and there. Handing dry clothes to Chrome, he left the room. The girl slipped out of her wet shirt, putting on her dry pajama top. Struggling a little with the bottom, she finally managed to get the pants on, but her eyes were tearing up in pain by the end of it. Throwing her wet clothes into her laundry basket, she stood up, albeit wobbly.

As if Hibari knew that she was done, he opened the door and walked in, holding a med kit. He caught sight of her trying to walk.

His face turned cold. "Sit," he commanded, and the girl sat immediately onto the bed. He walked briskly towards her and knelt down in front, opening the kit. Gently, he took her ankle and began wrapping. Wincing a little, but holding it in, Chrome watched the older male wrap her ankle with steady hands.

His breaths were slow and even, signaling that he was athletic and healthy. He finished, but made no move to take his hands off her ankle. The two sat in silence, before he looked up at her. "Better?" he asked her quietly. Nodding mutely, Chrome continued to stare. The two teens sat in silence, gazing at one another with curiosity, awkwardness, and something else.

Suddenly, Hibari surged upwards, and he pressed his lips gently against hers. Chrome's eyes widened, before fluttering shut, as she leaned back into him, their lips melding against each other's. Their lips stayed against one another, moving at the same rhythm with some unknown instinct. There was a soft _slurp_, and Chrome's face heated up. Nevertheless, she continued to kiss him, her arms coming up to wrap themselves around his neck.

Hibari didn't seem to mind the little sound, and he had begun to kiss more insistently. Wrapping his arms around Chrome's small waist, he pulled her closer. They parted for a second, and Chrome could take only a breath before he swooped in again and claimed her lips once more.

They fell backwards on the bed, and Chrome winced, her wounded ankle hitting the edge of the bed. Hibari kissed her softly, as if to apologize. He settled himself between Chrome's legs, continuing to kiss the younger girl. Finally, they broke apart, leaving Chrome panting for breath. A light pink had settled across Hibari's face.

"C-Cloud-,"

"Don't," he warned, nipping her on the lips. She was confused. "Don't call me that," he hissed, his eyes gleaming.

"I-I, H-Hibari-san, y-you," The skylark growled, pushing his lips against hers yet again.

"My name," he breathed on her lips. "Call me by my name." Chrome smiled, this time leaning forward and taking the initiative. Her faint whisper echoed around the room as their lips met once again.

"_Kyoya."_

_***K*H*R***_

Skull fed a spoonful of rice to Mammon, who munched on it happily. The male smiled, wiping a piece of rice off the corner of her mouth.

"Skull-san, purple!" Mammon pointed towards his tie, which was indigo colored. He smiled, and shook his head.

"No, Mammon, it's indigo." Mammon stared hard at the tie, before lighting up, her smile stretching across her face. This time, she pointed towards his lips.

"Pink," she declared. Skull nodded, smiling, but feeling that familiar gut-wrenching feeling. She couldn't remember a thing. Not a single thing. He sighed, his face feeling like stone as he tried to smile.

"Right, good job, Mammon." He said. Soon, if this didn't stop, he'd die. He was slowly withering away each time he saw her like this. He wanted Mammon back. He wanted the real Mammon back. The bedridden woman tilted her head curiously.

"Skull-san?" She asked confusedly, before smiling. Pulling the spoon out of his hand, she proceeded to blow on the hot spoonful of rice. The male looked on, mystified. Then, Mammon poked his mouth with the spoon, smiling. "Eat," she commanded.

Skull obliged, smiling. "It's good," he told her, and she giggled. "But I bet you're a better cook than me." Mammon shook her head, smiling.

"No, I can't cook at all. Heck, I don't even really like rice," she said, and her face broke out in an unbelievably huge, yet nostalgic, smile. Skull smiled at sudden growth at vocabulary. "But I love this." She continued, and the male promptly froze as an old, faded memory surfaced in the back of his mind.

_+Flashback+_

_Mammon swallowed the rice, smacking her lips with relish. _

"_This is really good," she said, picking up yet another spoonful of rice. "I always have to go and pay to get food that's as good as this." Skull beamed with pride._

"_Of course! The great Skull-sama is good at everything!" he said, puffing his chest out. Mammon snorted. _

"_Yes, of course, your majesty," she said sarcastically. Skull chuckled, leaning over to wipe a grain of rice off the corner of her lip. _

"_You're such a messy eater," he laughed. "The great Skull-sama is much better-ack!" Mammon smacked him, blushing. Wincing, he pulled back. "Ow," he said. She resisted sticking her tongue out at him but turned back to her food. Skull spoke up. _

"_But I think you're a much better cook than me though," he said. Mammon laughed quietly. _

"_No, I can't cook at all. Heck, I don't even really like rice," she said, looking down at her food. Skull felt crestfallen, until he heard the woman's next words. _

"_But I love this." _

_+End of Flashback+_

"M-Mammon-," he choked out. "M-Mammon, do you- have you-?" With shaking hands, he reached out towards Mammon. She smiled, and leaned her cheek against his outstretched hand before turning and placing a small kiss on his palm.

"Love you," she whispered against his open hand.

And, like the unbelievably manly guy Skull was…

He began to cry.

_***K*H*R***_

Fran stirred the noodles in the pan absentmindedly, almost on autopilot. Dumping the still steaming noodles into five plates, he worked quickly and efficiently. A little too quickly, perhaps, because he burned himself.

"Ow-!" Fran dropped the bowl of noodles, sucking on the red, blistered flesh. Without warning, tears appeared in his eyes, and he hurriedly wiped them away. "The hell-?" he muttered, rubbing his sleeve forcefully across his eyes.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit…" he muttered. **Don't you dare cry!** He thought violently. **He's not worth it!** An image of a certain blonde prince appeared, and Fran began to curse fluently. As he slowly calmed down, a bitter smile slowly stretched across his face.

Fran was never going to talk to that idiot again. Bel was his past, and now, Fran needed to clear his mind of that stupid prince. Once again working briskly, not thinking of the blonde, he set the dining table quickly. Fran wrinkled his nose in disgust at the smell of noodles; he didn't feel like eating. He was startled when Skull suddenly ran down, yelling. Fran whipped his head around.

"Fran! Fran! Fran! Fran! Fra-!"

"What?" the said teen snapped. Skull skidded to a stop, his eyes bright with excitement.

"She _remembers_."

The plates fell onto the floor with a _crash_, forgotten.

_***K*H*R***_

Bel kept on throwing knives at his wall, not really caring what he was doing.

Fran.

What had he done?

Should he break things off? Friend-wise, anyway.

The blonde was immersed in his thoughts, and he continued to throw his knives at the wall across him. They landed in the wall with dull _thuds._

_THUD._

_THUD._

_THUD._

_THU-_

Suddenly, Raisel burst in. Bel resisted a growl. "What?" he snarled. So much for resisting the growl. Raisel, however, ignored him, rummaging through the younger blonde's drawers. "Oi, what are you doing?" he snapped angrily, sitting up from his bed. His older brother laughed like a maniac.

"Ushesheshe! None of your business~!" he sang as he continued to assault the drawers. Bel sprang up from his bed, thirsty to take his anger out on someone.

Leaping onto his older brother, he pressed a knife threateningly onto his brother's face. "You want to keep that pretty little face of yours? If you do, _go away._" He hissed. His brother laughed.

"Ushesheshe, look at who's in a bad mood today~!" he said happily. Raisel grinned, pulling out his prize. "Aha, got it, ushe. Thanks," he told him, and he pushed his twin off, jumping away. Bel scrambled up and followed his brother, hot on his heels.

"Raisel, goddammit, what did you take?" he growled. Raisel let out a maniacal laugh.

"Ushesheshe! Not telling~!" he chuckled, waving his hand. Flipping his long hair back, he sent a cheeky grin to the infuriated brother. "Ta-ta, brother!" and Raisel's pet bat promptly flew out and flew right into the younger prince's face. Bel stumbled backwards, swiping at the bat.

"Stupid-!" he hissed. "_Storm!_" a mink shot out of a closet nearby, screeching and clawing at the bat. The bat flew away, and the light brown mink gave a haughty huff, as if to say, "Yeah, that's right!" The little animal had bangs covering his eyes, along with a small crown, just like Bel's. With glossy, sleek, light brown fur and small, rounded ears, the mink was undeniably cute. It had a long, narrow body, a bushy tail, and sharp claw. Scrabbling up his owner's arm, he purred happily, although Bel winced when the claws dug into his skin.

The blonde tickled the mink, and it settled itself over his shoulders, wrapping around his neck like a scarf. "Ushishishi, good boy, Storm," Storm gave a little bark, but swiped the blonde in the face. "Ow!" Bel glared at his pet, rubbing his stinging cheek. The little mink nodded towards the place where Raisel once was.

Bel growled and held out his arm. "Get him, Storm," he commanded, and the little mammal shot off his outstretched arm, sniffing rapidly. A few moments later, Storm perked up and gave a little bark, before scurrying away. The blonde followed silently.

He crept up to a door, and both the master and animal listened closely, eavesdropping through the door. Raisel's laugh came through the walls.

"_Ushesheshe! My stupid brother just broke off the relationship he had with the peasant."_ The said teen resisted a growl, and he pressed his ear harder against the wall. _"No, no, my idiot of a brother won't do anything~! Ushe, he'll just wallow in despair, wondering whether or not he should make things up with the peasant. But while he does that, I'll go in and take that cute little peasant for myself, ushe."_

Bel's hidden eyes went wide, and, stumbling away from his brother's door, he ran out of the house, an anxious mink following.

He hopped onto a motorcycle and roared off, his pet clinging to his shoulders tightly. Storm let out an indignant bark, nipping on Bel's cheek sharply. "Dammit, dammit, dammit!" he hissed, speeding up. **I will not let him. I won't.**

Unbeknownst to him, Raisel looked out of his window, watching him. He let out a malicious giggle and held the phone up to his mouth.

"_Ushe. He fell for it."_

_***K*H*R***_

Bel hopped off his bike and took a deep breath as he stood in front of his Froggy's door. Raising his hand slowly, he knocked on the door before realizing that there was a doorbell. **Damn,** he thought, mentally slapping himself in the face. He didn't have time to prepare though, and he straightened up as someone answered the door.

"We don't collect-" Fran's bored, green eyes widened, shock flitting through those once-emotionless eyes. Bel fidgeted, swaying awkwardly on his feet.

"U-Ushishi! Hi Froggy!" he tried to chirp as cheerfully as possible. "How are you?" Fran swallowed, his green eyes flicking towards the ground. "What's wrong, ushi? Frog in your-?"

"What," Fran said hoarsely, "Do you want?" Bel's smile faded a little.

"The prince just wanted to see-,"

"Go away." Fran muttered, swallowing audibly. A lump jumped into Bel's throat.

"Wait, Frog-!"

"Stop." The younger boy said, voice cracking. "_Please._" he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut. Bel didn't know what to say.

"F-Froggy-," Bel began, taking a step forward. Automatically, Fran took a step back, and a little hiccup escaped. The blonde froze at the little sound before he mustered up his courage. "I'm sorry for-,"

"It's okay," Fran muttered. "It's not your fault that I'm sick in the head." Bel's hidden eyes went wide.

"No, no, I didn't mean-!"

"It's not your fault," Fran repeated softly, and then he shut the door with a soft, "Bye."

And Bel's world came crashing down.

_***Owari***_

_**Done! Oh my gosh, how long has it been since I last updated? Whatever, I'm just so sorry, but I ran into a writer's block, and this time it was like a HUGE one. So yeah. *gets bricked* Anyway, I'll try to update ASAP! Bye my lovelies, and please review! It helps motivate me! **_


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